Tag: Pope St. John Paul II

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Saints

Pope St. John Paul II

Michael R. Heinlein

January 9, 2023 10:52 pm January 9, 2023

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Unshakeable faith and wisdom amid suffering

1920-2005

Feast day: Oct. 22

A life defined by suffering in his early years drew to a close with another kind of suffering. Having lost his mother at age 8, his brother at 12 and his father at 21 — in addition to the atrocities and injustices perpetrated against his Polish countrymen during World War II — Karol Wojtyla drew the strength necessary for his survival from the Eucharist. Resolved to become a priest, despite the dangers and difficulties it presented to him, Karol knew in his heart the fruits that the Eucharist can bear in our lives. And, as an elderly man suffering from the effects of Parkinson’s disease, his celebration of the Eucharist — with a quivering voice, shaky hands and weakened body — gave a great witness to the whole world of Christ’s love made present in the Eucharist.

The images of the beleaguered pontiff in his final years have left a lasting memory for many today. The reverence for the Eucharist radiated from his tired eyes; the need for the Eucharist was understood by his perseverance through infirmity. John Paul II’s great love for the Eucharist prompted his declaration of a “Year of the Eucharist,” still underway when he died on April 2, 2005.

“Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts. It is he who is the true answer of life that you seek. He stays here with us: he is God with us.”

So much can be said of John Paul II’s pontificate. He was a key player in the collapse of communism in Europe, which forced him from university to hard labor in a limestone quarry and necessitated his studies in an underground seminary and ordination in secret in 1946. In the wake of widespread confusion among the faithful and ecclesiastical in-fighting after the Second Vatican Council, John Paul II — who became a bishop in 1958 and was an active participant in the council — brought clarity and unity. He contributed extensively and definitively with a robust magisterium, also overseeing the publication of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church and a revision of the Code of Canon Law. He was one of the most consequential figues on the world stage in the 20th century, and he left a mark on the life of the Church not soon to be forgotten.

CNS file photo by Nancy Wiechec

To a world that adopted what he called a “culture of death,” John Paul also provided a lasting legacy by his witness of strength through weakness. That is in many ways what made his very public final illness and suffering a display of life’s meaning and worth. He presented to the world what’s at the heart of Eucharistic discipleship: that in Christ alone does man find meaning.

John Paul’s teachings offered a unique motivation to promote Eucharistic renewal in the life of the Church so that Catholics could truly come to recognize the sacrament as the source and summit of its life and activity. He invited Catholics to restore “Eucharistic amazement” to their spiritual lives through various initiatives and pastoral texts that continue to educate, inspire and share the Church. He wanted “to banish the dark clouds of unacceptable doctrine and practice so that the Eucharist will continue to shine forth in all its radiant mystery.” And he led the way by example. “Let Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament speak to your hearts,” he said in 1997. “It is he who is the true answer of life that you seek. He stays here with us: he is God with us. Seek him without tiring, welcome him without reserve, love him without interruption: today, tomorrow, forever!”

So captivating and respected was John Paul that his funeral brought together the largest gathering of heads of state outside of a United Nations gathering. And it likely was one of the largest assemblies in Christian history, with more than 4 million in Rome for the nine days of mourning. Pope John Paul II was canonized in 2014, a formal recognition by the Church of what the crowds sought when they chanted “santo subito” (immediate sainthood) after his death.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of OSV’s Simply Catholic. He writes from Indiana. Taken from the “Inspired by the Eucharist” saint booklet.

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Saints

5 ways in which St. John Paul II embodied the Rosary’s fruits

By Gretchen R. Crowe

August 1, 2022 7:34 pm August 1, 2022

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It wasn’t long after his Oct. 16, 1978 election that the new Pope John Paul II — the former Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla — began promoting Mary and the Rosary…

It wasn’t long after his Oct. 16, 1978 election that the new Pope John Paul II — the former Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla — began promoting Mary and the Rosary as one of the best ways to proclaim Christ to the world. In a General Audience on Oct. 28, less than two weeks after his election, Pope John Paul II declared the Rosary to be “my favorite prayer.” He also called it a “marvelous prayer — marvelous in its simplicity and in its depth.”

Throughout his pontificate, Pope John Paul II remained close to the Blessed Mother, signaled in his motto — an adaptation of St. Louis de Montfort’s phrase “Totus Tuus” (“Totally Yours”)— describing his complete devotion to Mary and desire to be closer to her and her Son. He also had a deep love for the spiritual fruits of the mysteries of the Rosary as outlined by St. Louis de Montfort and promoted them in his 2003 apostolic letter on the Rosary, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. He wrote: “… it is worthwhile to note that the contemplation of the mysteries could better express their full spiritual fruitfulness if an effort were made to conclude each mystery with a prayer for the fruits specific to that particular mystery. In this way the Rosary would better express its connection with the Christian life” (No. 35, emphasis in original).

Like all saints, we can turn to the example of Pope St. John Paul II, who incorporated vividly the spiritual fruits of each mystery of the Rosary into his life. Here are 5 ways in which Pope St. John Paul II lived these out.

Pope St. John Paul II was humble. From the beginning of his papacy, Pope St. John Paul II habitually kissed the ground upon arriving in every country to which he traveled. This gesture, learned from St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, was a sign of great humility, and it was an action that conveyed respect, affection, and that showed him to be at the faithful service of those he was visiting.
Pope St. John Paul II had a great, lifelong love for the Eucharist. His encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia was dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, and he directed the Church to dedicate an entire year — October 2004 to October 2005 — to deeper reflection on, and growth in, love of the Eucharist.
Pope St. John Paul II sought conformity to God’s will. When John Paul II was elected pope in 1978, he responded with the greatest obedience, wholeheartedly accepting God’s will for his life. Upon accepting the papal responsibility, he simply stated: “In the obedience of faith before Christ my Lord, abandoning myself to the Mother of Christ and the Church, and conscious of the great difficulties, accepto.”
Pope St. John Paul II showed patience in carrying his cross. Suffering was a significant part of John Paul II’s life, particularly in his final years as he battled Parkinson’s disease. But through infirmity and illness, John Paul II displayed a beautiful perseverance and humility, and he offered a witness to what it looks like to bear one’s cross with patience and purpose.
Pope St. John Paul II had a lively faith. John Paul II was a gifted teacher, and he was especially gifted when it came to teaching on matters of doctrine. His arguments were clear and compelling, and always rooted in Scripture and Tradition. Through his clarity and consistency, despite facing much resistance at times, he helped all who encountered him better know and understand the teachings of Christ and his Church.

Gretchen R. Crowe is editorial director for periodicals at OSV and author of “Praying the Rosary with Pope St. John Paul II.”

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