My Pope, My Shepherd~ Mercy IS Divine

Karol.

What a pope, what a man.

Strength, resolve, fortitude, evangelism, 

 justice,  perseverance.

He was every-man's pope. 

Traveling to more countries, spreading the One True Faith,

kissing more ground than any before him.

And possibly any to take the Chair of St Peter.

He defined mercy.

HE shocked. He amazed. He softened hearts.
Remember this?~~
How could any of us forget?

And he spread this beauty,  this gift of redemption.

In Pope Saint John Paull II's homily on the first

 Divine Mercy Sunday,

 he shares the love with which the Lord envelopes His children,

the miracle of our salvation,

the grace of God's forgiveness.

This man holds my heart ....

we, here, in our family have a special affinity for him.

My son is choosing, as his confirmation name,

KAROL.
 Because, he says,

"Who else would I choose?

It will always be him."

And this from a boy who was five when his Papa died.

Who expresses sadness that their lives were not

more intertwined.
Who can't read and learn enough about him.

I've been teary-eyed all day;

I've been moved by the beauty and perfection that on this day,

this Sunday of Divine Mercy, 

Karol of Poland, is elevated to sainthood.

The man who shepherded my generation

to adulthood, 

who was and always will be a beacon

of light, of social justice, 

of racial equality,

of the importance and the vitality of our domestic churches,

who received his education underground during the Nazi occupation,

who symbolizes the fall of Communism,

who consoled the world on September 11.......

he exemplifies the goodness and the kindness

and the best in all humankind.
And humbly.

For perfectly  clever ideas on celebrating Catholicism AND the influence of
Pope Saint John Paul II,
 please click to my friend, Tracy,
at A Slice of Smith Life.
Her family basked in Divine Mercy Sunday and the canonization of 
two popes by two popes on this historic day with many
activities, treats and with much prayer!

We were graced to be in our pontiff's presence a number of times.

Here, in America, twice.....once, in Rome.

Previously, I've written about our  JPII here:

JPII's Letter to Artists

Happy Birthday, JPII!

In the Presence of the Holy Father

If you are not Catholic and you'd like to learn more about
this beautiful Faith,
OR
if you are Catholic and have not been involved in the 
practice of the Faith but would like to return,
there is nothing that would make your Church happier!
Please contact me and I'll put you in touch with 
a priest who can assist you!

Friends, as always,  

thank you for stopping over and 
spending some of your precious time here at my home on the web!

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Until next time,

~Chris

I'm grateful to link this post to Jenny's

 JPII's Love Story link up