My brothers and sisters,
This is a difficult entry for me. The passing of Pope John Paul II has been reported as imminent, as of this writing. I find myself perched tearfully in front of the TV, waiting for an update; awash in a sea of emotions.
I’m 33, now, and for 26 of those years (some intensely formative in the spiritual sense), JP II has been recognized as the spiritual leader of the Church that I call home. However, I’d like to take this opportunity to address his place in my life on a more personal level.
Several years ago, I said goodbye to a teacher and friend that helped me realize a large measure of who I am, hinged upon my relation to God. That venerable man was Msgr. A. Robert Casey. He was a model of kindness, wisdom, humor and compassion. I find myself feeling that the same sense of loss is pending.
Though I never met him personally, the words of teaching JP II handed down in his writings and encyclicals resonate in my heart. The image of him in his earlier years, smiling as he blessed the crowds, as well as that of him in his decline, beaming as children spoke with him, makes me weep in that feeling of blessing just to have had him as a part of my life. Here was a man that extended a hand of love to Catholics and non-Catholics alike - and a hand of forgiveness to the man that tried to take his life.
I have lived in a time of greatness; of service to God, fellow human being and life itself. I have witnessed the life of an apostle, and soon, the passage of a saint. I’m intensely saddened, but immensely thankful to have had John Paul II as my teacher, father and friend in Christ.
May the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Love,
Joe