[Rank]
S. Stanislai Episcopy Martyri;;Duplex;;3;;vide C2

[Rule]
vide C2;
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, for Whose glory the noble Bishop Stanislaw fell by the swords of sinful~
men, grant, we beseech thee, that all whosoever ask his help, may find such~
answer to their petition as may profit them to the everlasting salvation of~
their souls.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
This Stanislaw was a Pole. He was born of a noble family, (on the 26th day of~
July, in the year of our Lord 1030,) at (Szcrepanow, in the diocese of] Crakow.~
His godly parents, who had been childless for thirty years, obtained him from~
God by prayer, and from his earliest years he gave token of the holiness of life~
which afterwards marked him. When he was a young man he applied himself heartily~
to all useful learning, and was deeply read in the sacred teaching of the Canons~
and of Theological science. After the death of his parents he inherited great~
possessions, but he sold them, and distributed the price to the poor, purposing~
himself to become a monk. However, by the Providence of God, Lampert, Bishop of~
Crakow, named him Canon of the Cathedral Church of that diocese, and Preacher in~
the same and afterwards, (in 1072,) he was elected, against his own will, to~
succeed to Lampert's place. In this office he was a bright and shining light of~
all virtues that become a shepherd of souls, especially of tenderness toward the~
poor.

[Lectio5]
AT that time Boleslaw II. was King of Poland, and him Stanislaw grievously~
offended, because he openly rebuked him for his shameless lust. Wherefore, in a~
solemn Parliament of his kingdom, he made Stanislaw to be brought before him on a~
false accusation of having taken wrongfully a certain village, which he had~
bought in the name of his Church. The Bishop could not rebut this charge by~
documents, and the witnesses were in too great fear to speak the truth.~
Stanislaw therefore said that in three days he would produce before the~
judgment-seat one Peter, from whom he had bought the village, and who had been~
dead three years. His enemies laughed thereat, and closed with his proposal, and~
the man of God gave himself up to fasting and prayer for three days. On the day~
which he had promised, after he had offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,~
he commanded Peter to rise from the grave. Peter then immediately came to life,~
arose, and followed Stanislaw to the King's judgment-seat, where before the King~
and all others, who were struck dumb with amazement, he bore witness of the sale~
of the village, and the honest payment of the price by the Bishop, and then~
again fell asleep in the Lord.

[Lectio6]
Stanislaw often rebuked Boleslaw, but when he found it was in vain, he at last~
cut him off from the communion of Christ's faithful people. Thereupon Boleslaw~
became frenzied with rage, and (on the 8th of May, in the year 1079,) sent~
soldiers to the Church to murder the holy Bishop. This they thrice essayed to do,~
but God was pleased that they should be held back by some unseen power. In the~
end, the ungodly King with his own hand cut off the head of the Priest of God as~
he was standing at the Altar offering up the Sacrifice without spot. His body~
was hewn into pieces and strewn about the fields, but the eagles strangely kept~
the beasts of prey off it. The Canons of the Cathedral of Crakow soon gathered~
together the mutilated and scattered limbs, which they were enabled to see by a~
lightness which overspread the sky at night and they fitted them together,~
each into his place. The reliques immediately so joined themselves one to the~
other, that no marks of wounds remained. Moreover, God was pleased to manifest~
the holiness of His servant by many wonders after his death, by the which being~
moved, Pope Innocent IV. added his name to those of the Saints, and the Supreme~
Pontiff Clement VIII. gave his Feast a place in the Service Book of the Church~
of Rome, commanding that the memory of so glorious a Martyr should be everywhere~
celebrated under the Double rite.

[Lectio94]
Stanislas was born of a noble family at Krakow. His birth was God's answer to the devout prayers of his parents, who in thirty years of marriage had remained childless. From his earliest days, he gave tokens of future holiness, and, as a young man, made great progress in the study of canon law and theology. When his parents died, he distríbued his large inheritance to the poor, intending to embrace the monastic life. But God arranged otherwise, and he was made Canon and Preacher in Krakow by Bishop Lampert. Against his wishes, he later became Bishop Lampert's successor, and in this office he was a shining example of every pastoral virtue, especially of kindness to the poor. He excommunicated Boleslas, King of Poland, whom he had often rebuked in vain for his corrupt way of life. In a violent rage the King sent soldiers to the church to kill the holy Bishop. But when these were driven off by the power of God, the King with his own hand beheaded Bishop Stanislas as he was offering the immaculate Victim on the altar. God proclaimed the holiness of his servant by many miracles after his death ; and on the strength of them Innocent IV enrolled him among the Saints.
&teDeum
