Tragedy

“The great tragedy of history is that Jesus is not known, and therefore is not loved, not followed. You know Christ! You know who He is! Yours is a great privilege! Always be worthy and aware of it!” (Pope John Paul II).

Pope Saint John Paul II

I like Pope Saint John Paul II.  He is my favourite Pope so far, despite other Popes also being wonderful leaders of the Church.

I always pray for the Holy Father – he cannot be removed as Head of the Catholic Church, even if he does evil things – so it makes sense to pray of the Holy Father that he is not led into temptation and can continue to lead the Church according to the Holy Will of God. 

The reason that I really like Pope Saint John Paul II, is perhaps because we learned many things about him while I was a child at school.  He was the Pope who began the tradition of World Youth Day.  He was the Pope who first allowed Rock Masses, where popular style music was played during the Holy Mass as a way to connect with young people.  By the time he was elected to the Pontificate, Pope Saint John Paul II had lost his mother and father, his brother and many of his friends during the Second World War.  He struck me as a Pope who was very much alone in the world with the exception of the Holy Spirit to guide him.  I like this Pope because he canonised many Saints during his time in the Pontificate.  He made a point of prioritising examples of faith among the faithful.  Perhaps I also like him very much because he was also a Saint – which means he was a very holy man – and was canonised soon after his death.

Pope Saint John Paul II experienced Parkinson’s Disease.  For decades of his pontificate, his health was significantly impacted by this disease.  His body shook and slowly failed him as the disease caused degeneration until the point where he was unable even to speak.  And yet the Pope continued to work.  He worked right to his death…

Pope Saint John Paul II was driven the share the Good News and this is why he worked so tirelessly – even when he was very ill…  He said, “Many people do not know or do not want to know who Jesus Christ is, and they remain perplexed and disconcerted... The great tragedy of history is that Jesus is not known, and therefore is not loved, not followed. You know Christ! You know who He is! Yours is a great privilege! Always be worthy and aware of it!”

Perhaps this Saint felt a calling to follow Christ in a way that the Pharasees had not?  After all, the Pharasees were determined not to know Christ…

“Some of the people of Jerusalem said, ‘Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.’ So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.’” (John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30).

And I wonder today, as I say my prayers and ask for the intercession of Pope Saint John Paul II, whether I am contributing to the tragedy?  For it would be such a terrible terrible thing if I were…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.