Sunday is a special day for the world, not only is it a relatively new Feast Day in the Church, that of Divine Mercy Sunday, but it is the day that the late Pope John Paul II will be made Blessed on the road to Sainthood. Not a shock for many of us who knew even as he walked the earth that we were in the presence of a man whose imitation of Christ was so beautiful that it inspired a new generation of young Christians, the JP II era. I consider myself so fortunate to have been from that generation.Personally I saw him several times in my life, the first time when I was just a small girl in my hometown of Edmonton. He came to the Namao air force base in a throng of crowds. I was much too young to have remembered the whole thing, but the experience, the excitement, the long walks, the eager anticipation of that moment struck this young girls heart with a love that has only intensified through my life.
The second time I would see the Pope was perhaps one of the most pivotal moments as it represented a solidifying of my faith at 17 years old. World Youth Day, one of the greatest inspirations that God gave our late Holy Father. It was Denver 1993, I had just graduated High School and a friend mentioned he was going. I got in on the trip rather last minute and through it not only had a wonderful religious experience but made a group of friends that carried me through my 20's and supported me. We all dated and married within this little group and I went on to see many of my friends marry and have beautiful families.
In Denver my Catholic Faith was deepened and many of the questions we often have about the Catholic faith were solidly put to rest. I left with a deep understanding of the rich treasures of my faith, the beauty of Catholics belief in the actual presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, and a proper understanding of Mary's role in God's plan.
I would go on in the Jubilee Year 2000 to spend 6 weeks studying my Catholic faith in Rome with 50 other young women. I had no idea what awaited me there or the close contact that we were given to John Paul II.
One of our guest speakers, who lived with us for a 3 day period, was one of John Paul II's closest and best friends from when he was a parish priest and led a youth group. She and her husband met in the youth group and the Pope, then a young priest was their spiritual mentor. She dined with the Holy Father during the day for lunch and spent the mornings and evenings with us telling us that she had been filling him in on us and our studies and that he sent his love.
In this visit we saw the Holy Father countless times in different venues, perhaps one of the most memorable being at Castle Gondolfo, his summer home, where if you are lucky enough you will be among one of only a mere 1-200 people who are within feet of the Holy Fathers small balcony. It was needless to say life changing.
On my last visit to Rome, Christmas and New Years at the end of that same year and the beginning of 2001, I had what I would consider to be a spiritual experience that I cherish to this day. To begin with, we saw the Holy Father about 4 times on that visit, the above pictire is very dear as he is kissing a little boy who we knew, his Mother, Wendy was a friend from Saskatchewan and we picked up the photo for her as we were staying in Rome longer than she was.
The bottom photo is very dear to my heart. I took the photo, I was perhaps 6 feet away. That in itself was dear, but its what happened to me in those moments that I will never forget. I find it hard to talk about or write about, it seems to take away from the beauty when I put it into words. The Holy Father when he passed by me was somehow transfigured in my eyes. He hunched no more but stood strong and tall almost instantly, his face changed as though years shed away and what I was looking at was the Holy Father that had come to Edmonton when I was a little girl, one almost 20 years younger, stronger, taller. The strength and the radiance were almost blinding to me and all I could do is breathe and tell my then boyfriend standing next to me "He is really is here, he really is a Saint" it seemed as though time stood still in those moments, and then the moment had passed leaving me speechless, breathless and utterly changed forever. It wasnt a trick of my eyes, it lasted much too long and I rubbed my eyes during it to be sure! I knew I was in the presence of something great, something, someone very close to God.
I still don't know what really happened that day or why, but it doesn't surprise me, I guess for me I felt the great comfort in Christ's strength in a person who really allows Him to work. It told me no matter how frail or decrepit one might appear, the power of Christ is ever strong. I am weak, I am nothing, I am dying, but I am not the one who matters, it is the one who loves me, created me, wants to work through me that I need to let live, breath and take action.
This is the legacy of Blessed John Paul, he truly laid down his life for Christ, and Christ on Divine mercy Sunday, a Feast that he instituted while Pope, is now holding up the Pope in heaven as yet another of the many great examples, big brothers and sisters if you will, who have followed the way, the truth and the Life of Christ. They are not the way, Christ is, the Church has always made this clear. They are however sign posts, lights on the path, examples of others to support us on our way, but more than just fellow supporters, they are ones in whom Christ has chosen to show his power and love in a unique way that God may be glorified even more through our weakness.
Before his death I was able to see him one last time, again in my home country of Canada at the last World Youth Day I was able to attend in 2002. It was there at the final Papal Mass where many of us witnessed a mini miracle and I would have to say it was almost eerie in a quiet way. Rain poured all night as we slept in the mud.
By this point, at 28 years old, I had taken a group of 20 kids with me and I was beginning to think I'm really too old for this kind of living, the mud was really getting to me, I was freezing but at least I had a great spot, right at the front next to all the cardinals chairs. It rained all night and all morning and the wind was a howling mess. The Holy Fathers chopper started making circles and then a landing. I remember feeling bad that I didn't care it was the Pope, I just wanted to be dry and warm. I also wondered if he could even land, and how on earth his hat would stay on.
The moment the chopper landed, and I mean the moment, the sun shone down and not a drop of water fell again until the Pope was gone. Ok, we hear about this happening, but what was eerie to me was the fact that the wind had instantly stopped when he stepped out, and it had been a vicious sort of wind. It was memorable for me in that it was the last time I saw him on this earth.
I hope many of you friends and family do the same, reflect and share the stories you had of him, and I hope that you will also be inspired to live like this great man did, ever close to Jesus.
