The 11th century during the 'contest' between the priests of the Church and barbarism (which we have a version today, brought to us by the 'peaceful' religion). We are once again honored by hearing about another martyr for the Faith. Today we hear about St. Stanislaus, Bishop of Crakow, Poland. The following is what is likely to happen when disapproving of someone's acts.
Boleslaus II was at that time King of Poland; he was a prince of good disposition, but spoiled by a long series of victories and success. After many acts of lust and cruelty, he outraged the whole kingdom by carrying off the wife of one of his nobles. Against this public scandal, the chaste and gentle Bishop alone raised his voice. Having commended the matter to God, he went to the palace and openly rebuked the king for his crime against God and his subjects, and threatened to excommunicate him if he persisted in his sin. Stanislaus incurred his displeasure after publicly reprimanding him in regards to his notorious immorality. Boleslaus invoked a solemn meeting of the grandees of his kingdom; the king summoned Stanlislaus to appear in judgement, to answer to the accusations of having appropriated to himself some land purchased in the name of his Cathedral. The witnesses were afraid to speak the truth (like today), and the Bishop was unable to produce the deed of sale, but he promised to bring before the court within three days the seller of the land, named Peter, who had died three days prior. His proposition excited much laughter, but was accepted. For three days did the man of God apply himself to fasting and prayer. On the fourth day, clad in his priestly robes, after Mass he went to the grave of Peter, and having caused the earth to be removed, he prayed, and then called on the dead and commanded him, in the name of the Holy Trinity to arise and go with him to testify to the truth. And behold a miracle! The dead arose in the presence of all the assembled people and followed the bishop to the King and the councillors. There, to the bewilderment of the king and the audience, he gave his testimony regarding the sale of the land, and the price duly paid him by the Bishop. This done, he slept again in the Lord.
The king's heart was indeed hardened. Several times Stanislaus admonished Boleslaus for his behavior, but all to no purpose. 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. Infuriated with rage, the king sent soldiers into the Church, that they might put the holy Bishop to death. They endeavored three times to do so, but were each time repelled by the hidden power of God. The impious king himself then went: and finding the priest of God offering the Un-spotted Victim at the Altar, he beheaded him with his own hand.
The corpse was then cut in pieces and thrown into a field; but it was miraculously defended from wild beasts by eagles. During the night, the Canons of Cracow, aided by a heavenly light, collected the scattered members, and having placed them in their natural position, they found that that they were immediately joined to each other, so that not a single mark of a wound was traceable. God manifested the sanctity of His servant by many other miracles, which occurred after his death, and which induced Pope Innocent IV to proceed to his canonization in 1253.
Reflection. The safest correction of vice is the Christian's blameless life. Yet there are times when silence would make us answerable for the sins of others. At such times let us, in the name of God, rebuke the offender without fear.
Just think how horrifying his death during Mass must have been to the parishioners, but how great it must have been for Stanislaus.
PRAYER: God, for Your honor the holy Bishop Stanislaus fell before the swords of his persecutors. Grant that we may be strong in the Faith and persevere until death (if need be). Amen.
St. Stanislaus informed the king that, if he did not repent, the danger of his damnation would increase with the time God grants him to repent and do penance. An important truth: God punishes some, sinners, like the revolting angels, directly after they have committed sin. Others He punishes not immediately, but looks on a long time during which they commit sin after sin. This leads some to take greater liberties and to sin still more according to the words of Holy writ; "because sentence is not speedily pronounced against the evil, the children of men commit evil without fear" (Ecc. viii.). "They imagine that they are secure of punishment," says St. Leo, "because they are not immediately punished." Such people ought to know that because they are not immediately punished, they have to fear so much more. For, it is an ineffable grace of God, a grace which He confers upon them and thousands of others, that He does not punish them directly, but leaves them time to repent. If they do not make use of this grace, but even spend the time bestowed upon them, in offending the majesty of God still more, they will most certainly have to render a strict account of it, and must one day expect so much severer punishment. "The greater the benefits man receives from God, the greater the punishment that awaits him if he commits sin and continues in it," writes St. Chrysostom. And St. Augustine says: "The longer God looks on, so much the more painfully and terribly will He punish." If you wish not to experience this to your own eternal sorrow, follow the admonition of St. Augustine: "If God puts off the punishment, do not you put off repentance." And Origen says: "The mercy which God manifests towards you when He gives you time to repent, has a limit, and it is unknown to you how great it is, or how long it will last."
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