The Day the Pope Died...
Well...I've been following this closely all week but it was finally today that the Pope went home. I can't imagine what it must have been like for JP II to open His eyes in the presence of his savior - no more sickness, no more frailty.
He was one of the most gracious, warm and caring people I have ever met. He just exuded compassion. When I met him I was in a crowd of tens of thousands of Italians. It was 13 years ago for the 10 year anniversary of the Napoli earthquake that killed so many people. Anyway, after his message he came over to where our group of american military personel were and he took time to stop and speak to us. There was so many people EVERYWHERE but when he came to me, he stopped, shook my hand, and said kind words to me. It was like I was the only person in the whole place. I know many people put him on such a high pedestal, but to me, he seemed so down to earth. He just lit me up by taking 30 seconds to stop, talk, and care about me as if I were the only person on the planet. Amazing. He had the softest hands I have ever held.
The world truely has lost a godly man. I was reading one of the AP articles and one of the archbishops said that the pope was "both a leader and a kind man...and you don't often find both those characteristics in people today." Hmmm...isn't that sad. Maybe if we all spent more time with our Heavenly Father we too would be stepping up to the plate to begin to be leaders transforming society through the way we love one another. Oh, that is what the church should be about. May JP II's legacy live on in us as we press on pursuing godliness.
He was one of the most gracious, warm and caring people I have ever met. He just exuded compassion. When I met him I was in a crowd of tens of thousands of Italians. It was 13 years ago for the 10 year anniversary of the Napoli earthquake that killed so many people. Anyway, after his message he came over to where our group of american military personel were and he took time to stop and speak to us. There was so many people EVERYWHERE but when he came to me, he stopped, shook my hand, and said kind words to me. It was like I was the only person in the whole place. I know many people put him on such a high pedestal, but to me, he seemed so down to earth. He just lit me up by taking 30 seconds to stop, talk, and care about me as if I were the only person on the planet. Amazing. He had the softest hands I have ever held.
The world truely has lost a godly man. I was reading one of the AP articles and one of the archbishops said that the pope was "both a leader and a kind man...and you don't often find both those characteristics in people today." Hmmm...isn't that sad. Maybe if we all spent more time with our Heavenly Father we too would be stepping up to the plate to begin to be leaders transforming society through the way we love one another. Oh, that is what the church should be about. May JP II's legacy live on in us as we press on pursuing godliness.
posted by Kyrie Eleison at 2:25 PM
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