Nowosądecki modlitewnik „Złoty Ołtarz”. Treść i znaczenie pastoralne

Abstract

Published in Nowy Sącz in the 19-th century, the book of prayer entitled Złoty Ołtarz (The Golden Altar) is a valuable monument of the Polish catholic devotion. Externally, it is just a modest booklet described by its author M. Stasicki as a collection of worship and religious songs arranged for the use of the faithful. The prayer book contains prayers and devoted practices which could be used by the faithful, both in the private devoutness and the public forms of cult. The prayers and worships gathered in Złoty Ołtarz reflect the spirit of the Christian piety in that epoch. Among collected there forms of devotion we can find the morning and evening prayers, the vespers, private orations of the Holy Mass, special worships for the days of the week and the liturgical periods of the year, prayers in honor of the Holy Virgin Mary and the Saints, prayers for those who passed away and the different religious songs. In addition, in order to join the piety of the religiousness with faith and liturgical life of the Church, this book of prayer contains the liturgical calendar and provides the basic information from the catechism. For many years, the Book of Prayers from Nowy Sącz not only nourished a private devoutness of the faithful, but also created their special sensibility for the spiritual depth of liturgy of the Church. Feting a spiritual life of Christians, this publication shaped in their hearts and minds a conscience of the proximity of God the Saviour.