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With
hearts of gratitude
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Whether pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, religious or lay person, whether
important on the world stage or insignificant, whether rich or
impoverished, the funeral ceremony for a Catholic is one and the same.
The degree of singing varies. The size of the congregation varies as
well, from a few people to thousands. The obituary in some cases is
lengthy while others get scant attention. But basically when a Catholic
dies the Church surrounds that person with the same ceremony. The theme:
“Eternal rest grant unto him or her, O Lord, and may perpetual light
shine upon them forever.”
The media have chronicled the life and accomplishments of Pope John Paul
II. His influence has spread far beyond the walls of our Church into all
parts of the globe. Few would dispute that he was a true man of God, a
holy man. I was privileged to celebrate Mass with him several times.
There was an opportunity to observe him in prayer prior to Mass. It was
as if he was caught up in a sort of trance. The expression on his face
was “otherworldly.” His body language spoke of total absorption in God.
All who chose to notice could see that prayer was a crucial part of his
life, that he walked with God, that he was a genuine mystic. He was not
an ordinary man.
In recent days we have heard a great deal about the legacy of Karol
Wojtyla. Many point to the role he played in the downfall of the Soviet
Union and communism in Eastern Europe. Others have suggested it will be
his outreach to the Jewish community. Still others the warmth of his
personality, especially his interaction with youth — his love for
people. There is even the possibility that his legacy may turn out to be
his not yet fully studied or understood theology of the human body.
From where I stand, his legacy will be his consistent and clear witness
to the sanctity of life.
He named the elephant in our midst. He called it the culture of death.
Whether it was abortion, assisted suicide, capital punishment,
infanticide, the plight of refugees, the impoverished, the degradation
of women, the horror of war, John Paul’s voice was unwavering. He
insisted to the Catholic world and to all who would listen that what is
right is right no matter how many protest it is wrong and what is wrong
is wrong no matter how many insist it is right. He gave us not personal
opinion but the teaching of the Church. History will note, I believe,
that John Paul II was the rudder that kept the Church on course when
more than a few voices were urging accommodation to things incompatible
with the teachings of the Catholic Church. He clearly was an untiring
voice for the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person. His
cry was to create a culture of life in a world of violence, oppression
and injustice. It was his voice, but the message was that of the Church,
of Jesus Christ.
Many wondered why, with all the disabilities, he did not step down as
pontiff. He certainly had borne the heat of the day. No doubt some
considered him stubborn for his refusal to welcome fresh leadership.
But, no pope can be separated from the spiritual dimension of his
office. He was our father, the Holy Father. A father can retire from his
business endeavors, but he does not cease to be a father to his family.
Weak or strong, healthy or disabled, John Paul remained our father. In
doing so he gave a powerful witness to the value of life, the value of
the human person.
Every priest is aware of words Jesus uttered to his apostles, the first
bishops of his Church, at the Last Supper. He said: “You did not choose
me rather I chose you.” John Paul II made it clear that he felt God had
chosen him for the office of pope. Our former Bishop John Carberry who,
as cardinal, participated in the conclave that elected both John Paul I
and John Paul II also felt it was the Holy Spirit who very dramatically
chose John Paul II. It was not a job in any secular sense. The papacy
was his vocation. That is fidelity, the fidelity of a father to his
family.
The sign of a truly holy person is when that person is able to surrender
totally to God’s will, who gives his/her all to God. John Paul II
surrendered himself totally to God and in that surrender was determined
to do the best he could through thick or thin until God called him home.
God now has. The long pilgrimage is over. He has finished the race, as
St. Paul would say.
We pray for his soul as we pray at the time of death for the soul of any
member of the Church. The Church urges us to do so in these words:
“Forgive whatever sins he committed through human weakness and in your
goodness grant him everlasting peace.”
At the same time, our prayers during these days should have a broader
dimension, and they do. Let us continue to thank God for the gift John
Paul has been to the Church and the world. No one would have guessed
back on Oct. 16, 1978, when he greeted the people of his Diocese of Rome
and the world for the first time, the impact this man from Poland would
have on the Church and world affairs. He has marked our world, forever.
We need not be afraid.
As we say our farewells, listen to the testimonials, watch the Mass and
burial from the Vatican, let it be with hearts of gratitude. Tears may
have to be wiped away, but thanksgiving should be the predominant
emotion. The father of our faith family has gone home to God. He will
leave huge shoes, yes, but the Church will go on, and we will as well.
It is reported that his parting words to his longtime and very close
friend Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz were: “I am happy and you should be
happy, too. Let us pray together in joy.” He is happy and we should be
happy for him. Let us with him pray in joy. |
