EFFICACIOUS NOVENA TO SAINT STANISLAUS, BISHOP & MARTYR – DAY 7 (FOR STRENGTH IN PERSECUTION AND TRIAL)

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 7)

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 – “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”
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Meditation: Christianity, from its inception, has been marked by the cross. The Lord Himself warned His disciples that the path to life would not be one of comfort, but of trial: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). From the early martyrs of the Roman Empire to modern-day believers silenced, imprisoned, or even executed for their faith, persecution remains a real and painful reality.

But persecution takes many forms. In some places, it is violent and institutional. In others, it is subtle yet persistent: ridicule in academic settings, mockery in the media, exclusion in the workplace, or misunderstanding in the family. Some are pressured to compromise their beliefs for the sake of “tolerance.” Others are simply worn down by the daily weight of injustice, disappointment, or spiritual desolation. For many, the trial is interior, that is, battling temptations, doubts, or the silence of God.

In the life of St. Stanislaus, persecution reached its height when truth clashed with power. His defence of ecclesiastical independence, his condemnation of royal injustice, and his unwillingness to flatter evil cost him his life. When diplomacy failed and threats increased, he did not yield. He was excommunicated by the king, falsely accused, and eventually murdered while offering the Holy Mass. His martyrdom was not just the result of political tension, it was the culmination of a life wholly surrendered to Christ. Stanislaus teaches us that the Christian response to persecution is not bitterness or retreat, it is fidelity. Strength in trial does not mean the absence of suffering, but the grace to remain firm despite it. It is the quiet courage to hold fast to what is true, even when others walk away. It is the witness of those who refuse to return insult for insult but instead bless and persevere.

Today, we remember all who suffer for their faith: those imprisoned, exiled, or martyred in secret. We also bring to prayer those enduring long-term trials: health burdens, economic hardships, family rejection, betrayal by loved ones, or the painful silence of God in prayer. These too are forms of persecution that test the soul.

Let us ask St. Stanislaus to intercede for us, that we may stand firm in the hour of testing. And if we are not yet in that hour, let us prepare our hearts by deepening our prayer life, strengthening our convictions, and drawing courage from the Eucharist, so that when trials come, we will not falter, but witness with love.

May the blood of the martyrs, including that of Stanislaus, strengthen our resolve. And may the Lord, who is near to the broken-hearted, raise up in our time men and women of endurance—souls who do not merely survive trials, but sanctify them.

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 steadfast hearts in trials. Defend those who suffer for righteousness’ sake. Through the witness of St. Stanislaus, may we find strength to stand firm in the truth. 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?