The Catholic Defender: Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Our Father, who art in heaven, sacred is Your Word. Your kingdom come, Your Words be heard on earth as they are in heaven. Give us today Your Sacred Word. Forgive our neglect of it in the past as we forgive those who neglect us. Lead us toward an encounter with You each time we delve into the Scriptures. For Your presence, Your power, and Your glory are ever present among us now and forever. Amen.

Father, we beg Your blessing for the Right to Life, the Unborn, the weak, the sick and the old; all who are finding themselves being targets of the vicious culture of death; that our Lord Jesus bless and protect all who stand up for the Christian dignity of persons. That God enlighten those who are traveling down death's highway by their involvement, in any way, with either the contemporary death culture, selfism, relativeism, or any of the new age errors of our times, that God envelop our culture with His Divine protection and help us both individually and as a nation to true enlightenment, conversion and repentance of our selves and our culture. Help us to turn from our national sin of abortion, and return to, and once again become a Christian nation, on the narrow road, that is, the path to becoming a nation and culture, under God. Amen.

I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, because you have revealed them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.

Let us begin, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people, “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Responsorial Psalm pS 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22 R.(5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia. Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full. R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia. See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia. Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and our shield. May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us who have put our hope in you. R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. or: R. Alleluia.

Alleluia Ps 118:24 R. Alleluia, alleluia. This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it. R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Jn 20:11-18 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb

and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.”

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.

Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.

Saint of the Day: Saint Stanislaus

Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents, both clergy and laity. He became bishop of Kraków in 1072.

He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government. Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris.

Anyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government.

During an expedition against the Grand Duchy of Kiev, Stanislaus became involved in the political situation of Poland. Known for his outspokenness, he aimed his attacks at the evils of the peasantry and the king, especially the unjust wars and immoral acts of King Boleslaus II.

St. Stanislaus is considered to be the patron saint of the young, students, and seminarians. He has also been invoked for heart palpitations and serious illness. His tomb is to be found in the church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale in Rome, Italy.

What was started many years ago by Venerable Servant of God, Father John Hardon we will continue tonight after the Eucharistic Miraculous Communion of St. Stanislaus Kostka is a great addition to the faith by a very wise priest to help us understand the History of Eucharistic Adoration. May we all be blessed by this wisdom and knowledge. God be with you, GregoryMary

Saint Stanislaus Kostka, at the age of seventeen, was so gravely ill that he seemed very near the end of his life. In that time, he lived as the guest of a noble Protestant who would not even permit him to be visited by a Catholic priest. Stanislaus was not discouraged and one night, in the presence of his tutor, he received Communion in a miraculous way. A few days later he recovered and decided to enter the Jesuit order.

Saint Stanislaus Kostka was born in 1550 in Rostkow, a few kilometers from Warsaw. In 1564, at age fourteen, Stanislaus was sent to Vienna with his older brother to complete their studies with the Jesuits. He liked his studies and life in the college very much, and considered dedicating himself to religious life. Unfortunately the Jesuits had to close the college and Stanislaus, his brother, and their tutor were forced to leave, accepting the hospitality of a Lutheran nobleman.

Stanislaus maintained exemplary religious behavior, regardless of the pressures from his brother, tutor, and host - who all criticized him. This was all accepted with patience and submission by Stanislaus, and during the night he even prayed for them. At about age seventeen, Stanislaus became gravely ill. It is necessary to note that he belonged to the Fraternity of Saint Barbara - whose members trust their patroness to bring them Communion upon the point of death. In this Stanislaus had total faith, and in fact one night woke up his tutor, who was keeping his vigil, exclaiming: “Here is Saint Barbara! Here she is, with two angels! She’s bringing me the Blessed Sacrament!” And so it was, the angels knelt by him and he was given Holy Communion.

The young man, serene, laid back on his bed. A few days later, to everyone’s surprise, Stanislaus awoke perfectly healed, declaring that he wanted to go personally to thank the Lord and manifest his desire to become a religious. The regional father of the Jesuits rejected him because of his young age and because he had no father or legal guardian, but Stanislaus did not lose his faith and decided to immediately try Germany or even Italy. He removed his fine clothes, put on those of a farmer, and walked towards Augusta where the great Saint Peter Canisius resided, provincial of the Jesuits in Germany.

Noticing his absence, his brother searched for him and began to feel remorse for his hostile conduct. Meanwhile, Saint Peter Canisius seriously evaluated the vocation of the young man and decided to send him to the Jesuit seminary in Rome. In his letter of recommendation of Stanislaus, he wrote: “Stanislaus, noble Pole, a just man full of zeal, admitted for a certain time to the college of Dillingen, showed himself to always be exact in his duty and firm in his vocation… we hope and expect great things from him.” died April 11, 1079, feast day April 11, feast day in Kraków May 7), patron saint of Poland, the first Pole to be canonized.

Even though he was a Jesuit for less than a year when he died, Stanislaus Kostka (Stanislaw Kostka, 1550-1568) is known for his youthful holiness and iron determination to follow God's call despite family obstacles.

Stanislaus prayed to St.Barbara to somehow receive Communion, and soon Barbara and two angels appeared to him in his room, bringing him Communion. They left, and then Our Lady carrying the baby Jesus appeared, and told him he was to enter the Society of Jesus. Stanislaus regained his health and returned to college.

The king first excused himself, then made a show of penance, then relapsed into his old ways. Stanislaus continued his open opposition in spite of charges of treason and threats of death, finally excommunicating the king. Enraged, the latter ordered soldiers to kill the bishop. When they refused, the king killed Stanislaus with his own hands.

Pray for us, O Holy Stanislaus, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. ripe holiness on them of tender years: grant, we beseech Thee, that we, following in the footsteps of blessed Stanislaus and redeeming the time by unremitting labor, may hasten to enter into our eternal rest. Through Christ our Lord.

King Bolesław sent his men to execute Bishop Stanislaus but when they didn't dare to touch the bishop, the King decided to kill the bishop himself. He is said to have slain Stanislaus while he was celebrating Mass in the Skałka outside the walls of Kraków.