|
Special
Mass for Pope John Paul II My dear Brothers and Sisters: We gather here tonight to pray for our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, who is ill. We ask Almighty God to bless him during this time of sickness. Above all, we pray that the good Lord will give him whatever grace and strength he needs to fulfill his role as Vicar of Christ on earth. In today’s Gospel just proclaimed for us, we heard the great commission of Jesus to His Church: “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Besides commanding the apostles to evangelize by baptizing people and teaching them all He had taught and revealed to them, Jesus also gave a solemn assurance: “I am with you always, even until the end of the age!” With that Jesus ascended to heaven before their very eyes. This great commandment of Jesus is a vital part of our Catholic faith. Thus the Church frequently reminds us that evangelization is not an option. It is an essential component of the ministry that Jesus entrusted to the Church. Since October 16, 1978, when Pope John Paul II was elected as Vicar of Christ on earth and visible head of the universal Catholic Church, his multi-faceted, dynamic approach clearly evidenced this priority. His words, his actions and his teachings are always centered on the Person of Jesus with a conviction that the Gospel must be proclaimed and shared by all. In the twenty-six and a half years of his papacy, Pope John Paul II has delivered more speeches, met with more world leaders, canonized more saints and extended more assistance than any other Pope before him. He has visited at least one hundred and thirty countries and spoken in a multitude of languages and dialects. He is a true shepherd of souls and worthy successor to Saint Peter. Pope John Paul II has written more than one hundred major documents. His encyclicals cover biblical, theological and current philosophical and moral subjects. The topics of his pastoral letters and papal teachings range from economics to health issues to the rosary and other forms of prayer. He has revised the Canon Law of our Church and authorized and approved the Catechism of the Catholic Church. As a teacher of the faith, the Pope has been exhaustive, demanding and authoritative. It can be said of him as it was said of Jesus in the Scriptures, “The people listened to Him because He spoke with authority.” The authority which Pope John Paul II so faithfully exercises is granted him by the Lord Who called him to be successor to Saint Peter. The Bible so clearly states that: “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Pope John Paul II is indeed a faithful successor to Saint Peter. The accomplishments of Pope John Paul II are tremendous. We are all aware of the great gift he is to the Church. We appreciate the positive way he leads the Church. For almost three decades we have witnessed his prayerfulness and benefited from his authoritative and authentic Catholic teaching. Through this teaching and his encouragement and example, Pope John Paul II is daily leading us to Jesus. And, since Jesus is the Lord – the only Savior – the Redeemer of the world – Pope John Paul II faithfully fulfills his role as Vicar of Christ. At the time of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II to the Papacy, the Catholic News Service posed this question: “How will Pope John Paul II be remembered in the history books?” It was rightly answered this way. “On an ecclesiastical level, for his energetic missionary ministry that took him around the globe and saw rapid Church growth in the third world. Internationally, he will go down as the one who precipitated Communism’s demise in Europe and as a moral statesman whose pronouncements on poverty, human life and war often challenged conventional politics. But much of the world will remember him simply as a man of deep prayer, whose spiritual intensity impressed believers of every faith.” This is who he really is – a man of faith, a man of prayer, indeed a man of God. When we scheduled this Mass tonight it was not my intention to simply extol our Holy Father nor to commemorate him. Our purpose is to come before the Lord in faith and with confidence to pray for Pope John Paul II. Yes, we are a people of faith. We believe that God is good and gracious and that He is the Creator of all and the source of all life. God created each of us in His own Image and Likeness. He made us to live on this earth first, then when our pilgrimage here is ended, to share in His life and presence forever. Pope John Paul II, who is successor to the Apostle Peter, the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Servant of the servants of God, is now ill. His advancing age and various sicknesses cause him to be hospitalized. Therefore, with trust in God’s love for our Holy Father, we ask Almighty God to look favorably on Pope John Paul II and grant him peace of body and soul and enlighten him with grace and blessings. Thus we celebrate this Mass for our Holy Father. By offering up this Eucharist, our prayer is no longer only our own. Now, we are united with Jesus. In this holy sacrifice of the Mass, we re-enact His life, His death and His resurrection. God is good. He loves us totally and therefore we entrust our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, to the grace and love of God. May God’s Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Most Reverend Eusebius J. Beltran |