The
following Homily was given by Fr. Herbert Nicholls on October 23rd at the
Mother of the Light Convent
1978 will
remain forever a landmark year in the Catholic Church. Following the sudden but
not unexpected death of Paul VI in August, the election of Cardinal Albino
Lucini as his successor was swift and dramatic. His warmth and humility immediately
endeared him to an astonished world that seemed to have grown hungry for the
things of God but needed the reassurances of a smile before expressing that longing.
But John Paul I who brought hope to the world would reign as its pastor for
only 33 days. To many it seemed as if the new dawn had been merely an illusion.
But the
conclave of October gave us an even more surprising Pope, the emergence of the
first non-Italian Pope in more than 400 years. The months that followed the
election of Cardinal Karol Wojtoyla brought intense interest in him as a sprirtual
leader, and as a potential force for good in the world.
Though his
election might have been a surprise to the world at large; he had been steadily
“eyed” as he came from Poland as a young priest to study in Rome at the
Angelicum. He went to France and Belgium to involve himself closely in the
ferment of ideas and renewal that were germinating at the time.
He returned to
Rome as a peritus for Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski at the Second Vatican Council.
As such he played an important role in determining the emphasis of the Dogmatic
Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium) and the Pastoral Constitution on the
Church (Gaudium et Spes).
Another aspect
of this saintly man which attracted attention far beyond the frontiers of
Poland was his prayer, faith and receptivity to the guidance of the Holy
Spirit. On October 27, 1978 in his solemn inaugural address, the new Holy
Father began: Be not afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!
On March 25th,
1983, inaugurating the 1950th Jubilee Holy Year of Redemption, he
said: Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, grant that all of us may love
you more. As in ourselves we live the mysteries of your life again. From the
conception and birth to the cross and resurrection. Be with us through these
mysteries. Be with us in the Holy Spirit. Help us to change the direction of
the increasing threats and misfortunes of the world today! Lift man up again! Protect
the nations and peoples! O Lord Jesus Christ, show how more powerful, in man
and in the world, is the work of your redemption!
On November
10, 1994, he sought to prepare the world for the dawn of the Third Millennium
with a burning hope for a new beginning, a new springtime that heralds the
transformation of ourselves, the Church, our nations, and our world. He
reiterated the words of his inaugural address: the words remind us that in
this century we are to go forth with great hope on our journey to discover
God’s love for us and with each step to realize the necessary condition of uniting
our will to the will of God!
He is perhaps
the papacy’s most prolific writer. He is the author of 14 encyclicals, 42
apostolic letters, 15 apostolic exhortations, 10 apostolic constitutions,
hundreds of public addresses, numerous poems, five books, a number of plays,
all this in addition to being the most traveled and most influential pope of
the modern age.
The magnitude
of this man’s accomplishments, world statesman, philosopher, Church leader has
perhaps obscured his greatest role, that of humble pastor. He knew something
about how men and women can find God, how they can come to understand the power
of God released in their lives.
He was able to
share this conviction that in each person’s journey there begins to change when
the road to holiness begins to change. Ultimately a person’s only desire is to
recognize and follow the light of God’s will. This not happen in one particular
flash of light nor does it resemble a dazzling grand finale of fireworks. God’s
inviting light gradually increases and probes deeper and deeper into the
darkness of the human soul.
His supreme
desire was that we come to embrace this faith that transforms the way we work,
the way we relate to other people, and the way we live in the world. This was
the simple message that he brought as he travelled the world. Sound bites or
verbal bites cannot begin to encapsulate the greatness and the belovedness of
this awesome servant of the servants of God.
On May 13,
1981, the Pope had the closest possible brush with martyrdom as a bullet pierced
his chest. Protected by Our Lady of Fatima, the crown of martyrdom was not to
be his. For the rest of his life he bore living witness to the value of
suffering. The bullet devastated his health, developing Parkinson’s disease
which produced loss of taste, loss of smell and loss of appetite. With that came
a loss of saliva and loss of speech.
Thousands had
gathered on Easter 2005, but when he went to the window to give his blessing he
was not able to utter a word, not even a sound, and the crowd below was just as
silent and in tears.
Seven days
later, Saturday, April 2 at 10PM, the vigil of his beloved Divine Mercy Sunday,
he crossed over the threshold of death, the threshold of hope, to be with the
Redeemer whom he had so faithfully preached in word and deed.
In a world
often deemed indifferent to religion, who would have guessed humble Polish
priest would become a pope the world would mourn? Even among those who might be
called “professional” Catholics there has been a sense of awe and wonderment at
the life and accomplishments of John Paul II. Everywhere he went he drew crowds
in the millions, in his native Poland, in the Philippines, in the United
States, in Latin America and of course in Rome where he was nearly
assassinated. It is difficult to imagine any other person living or dead who
has seen or been seen by so many people who want to see him. Why?
We can touch
his books, hear his words, see his videos, and he wants us to; but what he
desires most is for us to discover that experience of faith that can change the
world. Many thanks John Paul the Great!
