What would Pope John Paul do?

By Archbishop Roussin, SM

Over the past two weeks, we’ve witnessed reviews of the life of Pope John Paul II in extreme detail.

The general assessment has been that he was an extraordinary, even colossal, figure. Some have already taken to calling him John Paul the Great, just as we do his predecessors Gregory the Great and Leo the Great.

He has been praised, and rightly so, for his vision, his achievements, the challenges he overcame, and his initiatives in so many aspects of life. For example:

• His role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

• His challenge to the western world in view of the growing inequity between it and the third world countries.

• His initiative in reaching out to youth of the world.

• His work and actions of support to the poor of the world.

• His challenge to the western world’s consumerism.

• His call to all believers to aspire to holiness of life.

• The list goes on....

In these days since his death, and as we prepare for the arrival of a new Pope, we continue to pray for this humble yet powerful figure. We render him homage for gathering us as brothers and sisters before God.

It is worth asking, however, what all of this says to us at this time.

If we truly want to render homage to him, to pray for him, I suggest this can best be done in response to John Paul II’s unceasing challenge to us to become holy.

In St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians (1:3-10), we read that God chose us in Christ “before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before Him.”

Pope John Paul II frequently reminded us of this same message, that in all things, it is the basic call to holiness of life and our positive response to it that would surely please him from on high, and fulfil his dream – Jesus Christ’s dream – that we truly be one.

The challenges, the calls to action, and the conversion to which we were called by Pope John Paul II over 26 years resound all the more clearly as we ponder the gift he has been and is, even in death.

He manifestly took on the “image” of Christ, his Master and God, and urges us to do the same. This needs to be done, first and foremost, in our homes, our work places, where we relax and play in the midst of those we encounter every day.

It needs to be done through our everyday prayer and contemplation, by our celebrating the sacraments, especially reconciliation and holy Eucharist, by our “washing the feet of others,” and through service to the poor, the infirm, and others.

John Paul II reaffirmed in a dynamic way the Teaching and Tradition of the Church as the source of life at its fullest. He called for conversion from individualism and the attitude of “me first,” to one of service to others.

This is not a new faith, but a renewed faith in the revelation of God’s infinite love and mercy, in Jesus Christ.

Pope John Paul called us to “be not afraid,” to abide in Christ just as he himself did. This is the mystery of a Christocentric life and vision of life.

When fear grips so many of us and anxiety paralyses so many of us, let us remember that to be of Christ is the door to the fullness of Life. May we each be open and fearless in letting Christ abide in us, as John Paul II did.