Charity as the Basis and Source of the Spirituality of the Religious Life 37 man, leading them away from evil to good, from sin to grace, from earthly life to life eternal. Moreover, the reason for certain people’s religious vocation and their continuous striving after an ever greater and more perfect love of God, can be found only in Divine Providence’s wise plan. After all, Christ’s entire life was also marked by that very action of Divine Providence.22 In the Marian tradition, the concept of Divine Providence occupies an important place and is linked primarily to the interpretation of the Founder’s life and the experience of faith of the firstMarians. Depicting Fr. Papczyński’s life – especially the times of his various difficulties – M. Leporini says that the Saint used “to put his hopes in Divine Providence alone.”23 In the opinion of this biographer, the appointment of Bp. Stephen Wierzbowski as the protector of the Marians was a special grace of Divine Providence for both the Founder and the Congregation. This bishop established the Marian Order in the Diocese of Poznań and cared for it during his lifetime, which gave the new Congregation an opportunity to grow.24 In this way, the belief that God was watching over the Congregation in a special manner found its way into all subsequent works about the Congregation and the 22 IC, cf. Sunday in the Octave of the Nativity, AHC, pt. 2; IV Sunday after Epiphany, BHC, pt.1; I Sunday of Lent, BHC, pt, 2; V Sunday after Easter, AHC, pt.1; IV Sunday after Pentecost, AHC , pts. 1-3; Feast of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, AHC, pts. 1-2; Feast of the Birth of the BVM, AHC, pt.1; Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle, BHC, pts. 1-2; Meditation II, pts. 1-2. In one of the meditations in Inspectio cordis, Papczyński claims, referring to the actions of Divine Providence in the mystery of the Incarnation: “Consider how Divine Providence acts: the name was assigned to the Savior of the world even before His conception (cf. Lk 1:31). In the same way, certain graces had been arranged for the salvation of your soul before you were born: the endowments to be at your disposal and the vocation, especially to your present state, God determined for you once, before your birth.” IC, Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord, AHC, pt. 3. 23 VF, p. 643. 24 It is worth recalling the following account, established in the Marian historiography as proof of Divine Providence’s special care over the Congregation of Marians as the assignment of its first protector: “While visiting his benefactor, Stephen Wierzbowski, the Bishop of Poznań for the last time and asking for his fatherly blessing for himself and the entire Congregation, he [Fr. Papczyński] said: ‘What then does your Excellency leave us in his will?’ and the Bishop [replied]: ‘Divine Providence.’ Overjoyed by these words, he [Fr. Papczyński] blessed the Lord and from that moment on, [and] began to recite twice daily three ‘Our Fathers’, and ‘Hail Marys’ in honor of Divine Providence, instructing his followers to do the same always.” VF, p. 643.
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