A Time to bid Farewell…
n Easter Sunday, two days before he died, John Paul II dictated these words: “It is love which converts hearts and gives peace. To all humanity, which today seems lost and dominated by the power of evil, selfishness and fear, our resurrected Lord gives us his love, which forgives, reconciles and opens the soul to hope.”
Pope John Paul II was a man deeply committed to bringing out the best in humankind. His reach transcended nations, races, religions and cultures. He sought to bring about a dialogue and a mutual understanding between peoples who had been divided for eons based on their religions, ethnicity or political beliefs. From his unshakable faith in Jesus Christ, he taught us that there is a common thread of universal values that runs through all humankind. He was a man of faith, a man of peace, who made a difference to the world and commanded its respect.
John Paul II showed us the way; it is for us to tread in his footsteps and continue the mission of malice toward none and love and charity and compassion for all. John Paul II touched the world, and left it, we believe, more willing to be better.
…A Time to Look Ahead.
More than one in the secular media has made the observation: “I feel sorry for ‘the poor guy’ who has to fill the enormous shoes left vacant by John Paul II at such a critical time in history.” Yes, the task is awesome, yet our hope is enlivened, for the election of a new Pope isn’t just a “secular” affair. It is an “Ecclesial” moment of the greatest importance. We believe that the Holy Spirit has a lot to say about it, and those “enormous” shoes will be “made to fit” by that same Spirit.
And so we rejoice with the election of Benedict XVI as our new Pope, we pray for him and with him. As he appeared for the first time before the faithful on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict said: “Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord… Above all I entrust myself to your prayers. In the joy of the risen Lord, trusting in his permanent help, we go forward…, and Mary, his very Holy Mother, stands by us.”
(From Xaverian Mission Newsletter)