Readings
I - Eph.: 4:7-16
II - Lk. 13: 1-9
SAINT POPE JOHN PAUL II
God calls, calls and ever calls, various persons, during various times and for various reasons enwrapped with different charism according to the dire needs of the humanity. Yes, every vocation is for the supreme mission of actualising the Kingdom of God where freedom, fraternity and justice reign. Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Paul II. He is known as the ‘Pope of the family’, ‘Pope of the youth’ and ‘Father of World Youth Day’. He was canonised by Pope Francis on 27th April, 2014. The papacy of Pope John Paul II was the third longest papacy in the history of the Church: twenty six years, five months and seventeen days. He was a prolific writer and had written fourteen encyclicals, fifteen apostolic exhortations, eleven apostolic constitution, forty five apostolic letters and twenty eight moter proprios. He published the first official Catholic Catechism of the Church since the council of Trent. He helped to end the communist rule in his nation Poland and eventually all of Europe. He was one of the most travelled world leaders in History, visiting 129 countries during his pontificate striving for peace, unity and harmony. As a part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1340 people and canonised 483 saints. Saint Pope John Paul II instituted the Divine Mercy Sunday and also added the luminous mysteries to the Rosary.
At the Beaitification of Pope John Paul the II, Pope Benedict XVI said, John Paul “remained deeply united to God amid the many demands of his ministry.” Even as he was stripped of good health in his final months, he remained a “rock of faith”. Though his life Saint Pope John Paul II bore witness to the mercy of Jesus for us. Imitating the saint, rooted in Christ, may we become the reflection of God’s love and mercy to everyone around us. Let our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “St. John Paul II, Pray for us”.
