His Holiness Pope John Paul II
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Born Karol Jozef Wojtyla
May 18, 1920
Ordained to the priesthood
November 1, 1946
Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow
September 28, 1958
Nominated Archbishop of Krakow
January 13, 1964
Elevated to Cardinal
June 26, 1967
Elected Pope
October 18, 1978
Died
April 2, 2005
Beatification
May 1, 2011
Canonization
April 27, 2014
Divine Mercy Sunday
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The Prayer of John Paul II for Life
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O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick
killed by indifference
or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it
resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.
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“When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life.” --- Pope John Paul II speaking at mass on the National Mall,
Washington DC - October 7, 1979
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Each of you is precious
to Christ,
He knows you personally,
He loves you tenderly,
even when you are
not aware of it.
In God's plan nothing happens by chance.
Freedom consists not in doing what we like,
but in having the right to do what we ought.
In his own death, Pope John Paul II set an outstanding example on how to die with dignity.
—Pope John Paul II
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“When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life.” --- Pope John Paul II speaking at mass on the National Mall,
Washington DC - October 7, 1979
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Be Not Afraid
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Pope John Paul II,'s motto was "Be Not Afraid." His life was that of humble, wise and fearless man. He was always saying that each day we begin our spiritual journey anew. Each day offers a new beginning, a new opportunity to advance in God-awareness... a real opportunity to contemplate our life. His life was totally devoted to God. Each day priority one was God and Pope John Paul offered his life and performed his duties solely to please God.
We too can turn to God through prayer and example. This is the legacy of Pope John Paul II. That in our own spiritual journey can be further enhanced knowing that Pope John Paul II has traveled by our side. As he sought to make each day a new opportunity to advance spiritually, we too can also realize that we can emulate his sublime effort as we seek to advance our own spiritual goal toward the closeness of God.
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“Many people today are disoriented and lost in search of genuine fellowship. Often their lives are either too superficial or shattered by brokenness. Their work often is dehumanizing. They long for an experience of genuine encounter with others, for true fellowship.
Well, is this not precisely the vocation of a parish? Are we not called to be a warm, brotherly family together? Are we not people united together in the household of God through our common life? Your parish is not mainly a structure, a geographical area or a building. The parish is first and foremost a community of the faithful. This is the task of a parish today: to be a community, to rediscover its identity as a community. You are not a Christian all by yourself. To be a Christian means to believe and to live one's faith together with others for we are all members of the body of Christ.... For fellowship to grow, the priest's role is not enough, even though he plays an essential role. The commitment of all parishioners is needed. Each of their contributions is vital.
--- Pope John Paul II from "Draw Near to God"
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“I leave you now with this prayer: that the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself to each one of you, that He will give you the strength to go out and profess that you are a Christian, that He will show you that He alone can fill your hearts. Accept his freedom and embrace His truth and be messengers of the certainty that you have been truly liberated through death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This will be the new experience, the powerful experience, which will generate through you,
a more just society and a better world.”
God bless you and may the joy of Jesus be always with you!
--- Pope John Paul II,
L’Osservatore Romano, Nov. 5, 1979
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"Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for a while,
leave footprints in our hearts,
and we are never, ever the same."
--- Unknown
Pope John Paul II was that type of person and his example lives on...
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When you don't know where you are going any road will take you there.
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“If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life –
and it all begins with your very own power of choice.”
--------- Jim Rohn, Author and Speaker---
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Photo Credits: Author, Bill Fall, Montana, CZ and PCC Archives, Vatican Archives
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