Spirituality of the Religious Life According to St. Stanislaus Papczyński 156 of the Apostles, but also the everyday behaviors which reveal the power of the Holy Spirit and the submissiveness of man. In, Inspectio cordis, he dubs them “the traits of the Holy Spirit.” They are: “joy, peace, wisdom, gentleness, patience, humility, discretion, forbearance, and others like them (cf. Gal 5:22).117 In conjunction with supernatural love – charitas, which is the first gift of the Spirit, these “traits” equate with the attitude of Christ and – as such – they also are the “traits” of becoming like Him. In his concept of the spirituality of the religious life, Saint Stanislaus Papczyński draws attention to the criteria of living “according to the Spirit.” Conscious of the need to imitate Christ and of the truth about the man’s spiritual condition, he also notes both man’s sinfulness and his dignity, including his calling to true love. Accordingly, he emphasizes “it is of the holy and divine Spirit to agreeably bear the yoke of the Crucified,” for such was the path that Jesus followed. And then Papczyński continues: “You should follow such a spirit in the future if you desire to be a true disciple of Christ.”118 A religious is also said to live “according to the Spirit,” when his attitude clearly displays the goals to which the Spirit leads him. Papczyński’s commentary is very emphatic on the evangelical words promising the coming of the Comforter (Jn 15:26). He remarks “that the Holy Spirit comes to us for a threefold reason: 1) to set us on fire; 2) to console us; and 3) to convict us.” Developing the thought, he teaches: “He sets the frigid and the lukewarm on fire, whereby they advance more fervently on the path of virtue. He consoles the afflicted, whereby they love the gracious God even more, realizing His great care and goodness toward them. He convicts the disobedient, the sinners, and the wicked, whereby they come to their senses faster, give up their depraved conduct, avoid lying, and adhere to the truth.” And finally, he directly addresses 117 IC, Sunday “in Albis,” ZHC, pt. 2. The signa Spiritus Sancti, listed in the quoted excerpt, are frequently referred to or discussed as obvious and universally recognized – because they are based on biblical authority – in Inspectio cordis and other writings of Papczyński as well as in the early tradition of the Congregation of Marian Fathers. See Feast of the Visitation of the BVM, AHC, pts. 2-3; AHC, pt. 3; Common of a Martyr, AHC. pt. 1-2. 118 IC, Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, AHC, pt. 3.
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