Homily: Feast of St. John Paul II
Feast of St. John Paul II
I have made two trips to Rome in my lifetime. The first trip was in 1980. I was a second Theologian. This was shortly after the election of John Paul II as Pope. It was an exciting time to be in Rome. John Paul was only in his 50’s. He was the first non-Italian Pope in centuries. No one could quite believe that he was elected.
I was able to go to the Paul VI audience hall that had been built for winter gatherings with the faithful. 6,300 people were there to see the Pope. I expected a very reverent gathering, but to my surprise the crowd was very raucous. When the Pope entered a cheer went up. He would walk up on a rolling scaffold as he went down the main aisle of the theater. The Pope would wave at the people. At times people would surge toward the barriers to try to shake his hand.
Eventually he made it to the stage in front where he sat down and began to speak. He gave a lengthy address in Italian about family life. He then gave a shortened version in several different languages. He was a great linguist. Each time he would speak in a new language a roar would go up from people who spoke that language. At the end of the address, he gave everyone his blessing.
John Paul II was a transitional figure for the Papacy. He did not want to be distant from the people. He wanted to be among the people, to press the flesh, to pose for a picture, to bless the babies. As Pope Francis might say, “He wanted to smell like the sheep.” Pope Benedict and Francis have continued the practice of mingling with the faithful.
It can be argued that John Paul II was not a perfect man, but there is no doubt he was a great historical figure (he helped bring down the iron curtain for example). He tried to be a shepherd for the faithful. His many travels show his willingness to go to the margins to seek out his sheep. His communication skills allowed him to interact with more people than any other Pope. His papacy paved the way for the much more international leadership in the church. The goal for the church today seems to be that we want people from all over the world to enjoy a seat at the table where decisions are made about the future of the church. We can thank John Paul II for opening our eyes to this possibility.
Reflection Questions:
- Is the Pope an important figure for me as I live my life as a Catholic? How is this so?
- Every Pope leaves a mark on the Papacy? How is Francis changed the role office of Peter?
Dear Parishioner,
This is Respect Life month. The Catholic Church is a pro-life institution. We have probably heard that we respect life from its conception until its natural end. This is true, but respecting life does not just involve protecting human life, but it involves respecting all life.
If we are not good stewards of the earth, one day, all life may cease to be. The signs of global warming are all around us. We should have a canary in the coal mine mentality. If our planet drives one species into extinction it might mean, we are all in trouble.
Jesus came to be one with human beings, but he also came to redeem the world. His incarnation reminds us that all creatures, plants and material things are holy. Everything is interconnected. There is a WEB of life. We need to respect everything in creation.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark