Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 134 in the work of salvation. He finds validation for his beliefs in the contemplation of the Passion of Christ, in which he sees the fullness of perfection. Consequently, the Marian Founder’s writings on the religious life contain a clearly prominent idea of following the suffering Christ, which is often presented as the characteristic of the spirituality and as its criterion. Papczyński states with conviction: “God wants the religious who serve him, to follow him in suffering: carrying the cross, whichever would be imposed upon them, not only bravely, but also cheerfully.”61 However, ultimately, he links the following of the suffering Christ not so much to the command of taking up the cross, without which there is no Christ and no following Him, but mostly to the eschatological perspective of reigning together with the Redeemer, because “those who accept and drink with all resignation the chalice of suffering as the Son of God did; who are repaid with evils for their good deeds; who are unjustly accused and condemned; who meet with groundless hate and derision; who in imitation of Christ, with cheerful spirit, sustain for the love of Christ any contempt, adversities, labors, afflictions, crosses, and persecutions; these will posses heavenly glory and be the coheirs of the Son of God.”62 The Sequela Christi, set against the background of Christ’s passion, also has a paschal dimension: the passage from death to life. This theme, although not always referring to the Passover of Christ, is always marked by the light of Christ’s resurrection, His passing from the Passion to Passover, and His paschal presence in the Eucharist. Also, the paschal perspective is often connected to the basic principle that Papczyński upholds in his appeals to follow the suffering Christ. Meditating on the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor (Mt 17:1-8), he remarks that “a significant portion of the celestial glory was shown to these observers of Christ’s majesty, so that, having tasted it, they would desire to undergo for him all misfortunes, even death itself; that having become participants in the scorn and torments he suffered, they would also become participants in his honor and eternal joy.” 61 IC, Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, AHC, pt. 1. 62 IC, Feast of St. James [the Greater] Apostle, BHC, pt. 3.
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