EFFICACIOUS NOVENA TO SAINT STANISLAUS, BISHOP & MARTYR – DAY 1 (FOR COURAGE IN THE FACE OF FEAR)

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Help is in the Name of the Lord, 

Who made Heaven and Earth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

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Opening Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, You granted to St. Stanislaus, your faithful bishop and martyr, the grace to stand firm in the truth of the Gospel and to give his life in defence of justice and righteousness. Grant that through his intercession, we may receive the grace we seek during this novena. Strengthen our faith, deepen our hope, and increase our charity, that we may live courageously in the light of Your Gospel till the end. (Add your personal intention). We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Scriptural Reading, Life, Examples & Legacies (Part 1)

Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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Meditation: Fear is one of the oldest human emotions—woven into our experience from the moment we sense vulnerability or danger. It takes many forms: fear of failure, fear of sickness, fear of poverty, fear of shame, fear of rejection, fear of death. And today, these fears are widespread: families worry about the future, young people fear unemployment and uncertainty, parents fear for the safety and faith of their children, while others silently carry the burden of fear born from past trauma or betrayal. Yet into this climate of anxiety, God speaks the same words He once spoke to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” These words are not a denial of danger, they are a call to trust. They form the bedrock of Christian courage, not rooted in self-confidence, but in the abiding presence of the Lord who walks with us through the fire.

St. Stanislaus, as Bishop of Kraków, lived in a time of moral and political instability. He faced the daunting task of guiding the faithful under the reign of a powerful and temperamental monarch, King Bolesław II. To confront a ruler in error (especially one prone to retaliation) was no small matter. But Stanislaus feared God more than man. He understood that silence in the face of grave sin would be complicity. He risked royal anger and civil backlash to uphold the demands of the Gospel. His courage was not brash or impulsive, it was informed by prayer, rooted in Scripture, and refined by suffering. His was the courage of a man who stood for righteousness, knowing it might cost him his life. And indeed, it did.

Today, we ask for this kind of courage, not only the dramatic kind that may be required in extraordinary moments, but also the quiet courage needed in daily situations: to speak the truth with love, to defend someone being wronged, to forgive instead of retaliate, to resist peer pressure, or to profess our Catholic faith openly in hostile environments. We also pray for those gripped by fear, especially those who feel alone in their struggles. May they be reminded that the Lord never abandons His own. Let the life and martyrdom of St. Stanislaus stir our hearts to walk boldly in the truth and to trust, even in the storm, that God is near.

Litany of St. Stanislaus:

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, devoted shepherd, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, fearless witness to truth, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, martyr of the altar, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, defender of justice, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, humble and obedient servant, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, intercessor for the Church, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, protector of the oppressed, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, faithful in prayer, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, patron of Poland, pray for us.
St. Stanislaus, model for bishops, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Stanislaus, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Concluding Prayer

Lord, give us the courage to do what is right, especially when it is difficult. Like St. Stanislaus, may we face fear not with despair but with trust in Your abiding presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Shalom!
Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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PS: Have you prayed your Rosary today?