Theological Foundations new file

206 Theological Foundations examination of this list. Jarra lists dozens of names of the founders of religious orders, masters of spiritual life, mystics, apologists, exegetes and hagiographers who influenced the shaping of Father Papczynski’s spiritual profile. At the head of this list is St. Basil the Great (329-379), an organizer of cenobitism in the East, Father and Doctor of the Church, author of many writings on asceticism. A special place on the said list is occupied by St. Theresa (1515-1582), foundress of the order of the Discalced Carmelite nuns. 15 Father Papczynski regarded this reformer of the Carmelite order as a model in spiritual direction. He wrote: “Let Virgin Theresa serve as an example; the virgin whom we will never be able to accord sufficient praise, about whose heroic efforts and seraphic spirit even the learned and pious men made such different judgments! Some saw her as giving in to temptation, others — as a possessed woman, still others — as men- tally ill. Very few praised her work and only when they saw its positive result.” 16 Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz was familiar with and studied the work of many of the authors mentioned in Father Papczynski’s writings. Just like Father Papczynski, he, too, favored St. Theresa. In Father Papczynski’s asceticism, she toned down the influence of the Spanish school which recommended relentless fight with the senses and natural urges. In Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz’s writings, she was often given as an example to imitate. Both our authors had their favorite saints according to the tendencies of their times and the need of their hearts. They both availed themselves of the works of their contemporary ascetic writers. We can find the names of such authorities as St. Lawrence Justinian or St. Peter of Alcantra in Father Stanislaus’s writings and St. Ignatius Loyola and St. Vincent de Paul in Father Matulaitis- Matulewicz’s writings. Father Papczynski read the ascetic writings of Kasper Druzbicki, Daniel Pawlowski, Kazimierz Kojalowicz, Mikolaj of Mosciska Mosciska and many other writers contemporary to him. Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz studied Alvarez, Meschler, Mercier, Pelczar — to name only the most known.