JPII WE LOVE YOU!!

Cardinal Dziwisz Concludes the Rogatory Stage of the Beatification Process

JOHN PAUL THE GREAT, WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! PRAY FOR US IN YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE!

Celebrations of the anniversary of the passing of the Holy Father are still going on right now. All of Poland seems to be here, as well as many people from outside of Poland. All Saint’s Square, in front of the “papal window,” at the Metropolitan Curia, is filled with flowers, candles, prayer cards, and people. Young people, old people, priests, nuns, tourists, and locals have all come and are all coming to “see” John Paul. Some come because it is interesting, and some come to pay homage to and remember the man, whom many here personally knew. In addition to the huge “Thank You JPII” picture that was also present at WYD in Cologne, a whole collection of photos has been set up along Franciszkanska Street, which has been closed to all traffic. This evening, there will be a student Mass celebrated in St. Ann’s Collegiate Church, near the tomb of St. John Cantius. After the Mass, there will be a citywide celebration of the Stations of the Cross, based on John Paul II’s Good Friday reflections from the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.
This morning, I was among the more than ten thousand pilgrims from across the country, who came to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in order to celebrate a Mass for the Beatification of John Paul II, concelebrated by the Papal Nuncio to Poland, Cardinal Dziwisz, Cardinal Macharski, Cardinal Nagy, and other cardinals and bishops. Also in attendance was the President of the Republic of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, as well as Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz, and many other government dignitaries.
It was amazing to be at Mass in a Basilica that was dedicated less than four years ago by the Holy Father himself. Though I have never been a fan of the new basilica, which is very modern and quite plain, I was once again filled with awe and wonder at the greatness of the Holy Father. It was he who, as Bishop of Krakow, was instrumental in the spread of the Divine Mercy devotion throughout the world. Here I was, at the very back doors of the basilica, filled to capacity, looking at the portrait of John Paul II, the bronze letters on the white wall, which depicted John Paul’s Act of Entrustment of the World to the Divine Mercy, as well as the globe-shaped tabernacle. The universality of the church could be felt, since the shrine is the second most-visited shrine in Europe, and if it continues to grow at the same pace, it will soon surpass even Lourdes. The Mass began with sixteenth century polyphony, Laudate Domine, by somebody who sounded a lot like Palestrina. (There were no programs). Cardinal Dziwisz, as the homilist, focused on the words in the Holy Father’s Will in the light of this Sunday’s Gospel. “We want to see Jesus,” the Greeks told Philip. “How often our beloved Holy Father encouraged us to look at the face of Christ.” He encouraged us to look at the face of Him who suffered and died for us. It was He Who taught us the true meaning of love. Just like the “grain of wheat,” which must first die in order to produce fruit, so “John Paul II taught us that the vocation of the Christian is the vocation to sacrifice. To die to oneself in order to experience the height of love, the love of Christ on the cross.” So often, in our “complicated world, man tends to fill his life with distractions, with excuses,” with reasons to flee from Christ. Yet, John Paul Ii cried out to us, from the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ.” The saint is the one who experience the love of Christ on the cross, through death to oneself, and then is spurred on to share this love with others. This love enters into one’s life and becomes an infectious joy. Why was John Paul II, for us, such a charismatic and attractive personality? Because “a great saint lived among us. Yet, so often we became accustomed to his presence. We often overlooked his holiness.” Yet, the cardinal reminded, we “must look to him as somebody who opened wide the doors to Christ,” a saint among us who “relentlessly followed the will of God” at every moment of his life.
As if intentionally focused toward the government officials present, Cardinal Dziwisz reminded of the love that John Paul II had for his country. He was a “prophet of freedom,” who constantly reminded us “not to be afraid” to work towards a just society, a society which respects every human being, a society that is committed to serving the poor, a society that continues to be immersed in its Christian tradition. “The death of the Holy Father brought about a unity among us, a unity of prayer and love,” that we who experienced it will never forget. In his Will, John Paul wrote of the importance of always being prepared for the coming of death, to always live every moment as a gift from God. Quoting from John Paul’s Will, “serve one another through love,” (Galatians 5:13), Cardinal Dziwisz called each person to remember the true “vocation of the Christian—to love.” We must allow that unity of love and of our spirits which “we experienced in those painful moments one year ago today” to live on each day, in our lives, and in the life of our nation. More than ever, in this world of individualism, egocentrism, and chaos, we must “love one another,” which is the greatest commandment of all.
The Mass was televised live on Italian (and Polish television), and Cardinal Dziwisz also addressed the Italians who were watching in their own language. “Italy and Poland, Poland and Italy. Together we experienced those sad and tragic moments of the final hours of the Holy Father.” Yet, we knew that it was a cause for joy and for celebration, that the man who had given his entire being to Christ, the man who had responded to the graces and become “Christ Himself,” was finally at home, looking down from the “window of the Father’s house.”
More news to come…