Homily for Thursday, Week 2 of Easter, & St. Stanislaus

Homily for Thursday
2d Week of Easter
Memorial of St. Stanislaus

April 11, 2019
John 3: 31-36
Acts 5: 27-33
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.

by Bernini, St. Peter's Basilica

“God does not ration his gift of the Spirit,” Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:34).  He bestowed that gift in such abundance on the apostles that they became fearless preachers of the resurrection and glorification of Jesus, of “repentance and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31).  Peter invoked the guidance of the Spirit in their preaching and in their defense before the high priest and the council of elders, the very men who’d condemned Jesus:  “We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him” (5:32).

The power of the Holy Spirit also guided St. Stanislaus in his defense of public morality, of the sanctity of marriage, of the human rights and dignity of the Polish people against the abuses of their king.  The Spirit-led courage of Bp. Stanislaus cost him his life but has inspired the Polish people for 945 years since in their love for their faith and their resistance to countless oppressors.

St. Stanislaus

Last Monday the Church published a relatively short defense of human dignity against the numerous ways in which it’s assaulted nowadays, often in ways deemed politically correct:  by the obvious oppressions of war, human trafficking, degrading poverty, environmental destruction, and capital punishment but also by abortion, gender ideology, surrogacy, and IVF.  In the face of repressive governments and so many public voices, the Church still cries out, “We must obey God rather than men” (5:29).  We must continue to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus and the life he extends to every child of God, led by the gift of the Holy Spirit.