Saint Stanislaus Papczynski — The Life and Writings

In his writings, St. Stanislaus professes the contemplation of God to be one of the greatest gifts granted to man. It leads to a close union with God — the Ultimate Good. If the happiness of the redeemed in Heaven consists in beholding God and enjoy- ing His presence, then someone already contemplating Him here on earth receives a foretaste of this happiness. The Person of Christ, His life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, occupy the central place in this contemplation. Father Papczynski describes the Sacrament of the eucharist as a transformative encounterwith Christ. Christ, who gives Himself to us in the eucharist, calls us to surrender to Him in faith and love. In the eucharist, we receive not only the Son of God, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit; thus, the entire Trinity is being given to man. In this way, the eucharist becomes a mystical nup- tial banquet in which Christ the Bridegroom nourishes man. The eucharist makes possible man’s internal change, his deification, that is, his transformation in Christ, which is like the beginning of eternal unity with Him ( Contemplating With the Heart ). Saint Stanislaus’ written works reveal to us other aspects of the Marian charism. They show us the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in the mystery of her Immaculate Conception, as a model of perfection and a spiritual Mother of all believers in Christ. By uttering her fiat , the Blessed Virgin fulfilled the will of God in themost perfect way, while the example of her life teaches us the full extent of serving Christ ( The Mystical Temple of God; Contemplating With the Heart ). According to Fr. Papczynski, the highest manifestation of love is prayer and penance for the in- tentions of the souls suffering in Purgatory ( The Mystical Temple of God; Contemplating With the Heart ). All this illustrates howSt. Stanislaus Papczynski’swritings have not lost any of their relevance and still offer effective means for achieving Christian perfection, regardless of the more than three centuries that have elapsed since the day of their publication. —Text based on the work of Rev. Professor Jerzy Misiurek, PhD Catholic University, Lublin A Glance at St. Stanislaus Papczynski’s Written Works 47