Folks, today, on this Sunday of the Divine Mercy, we celebrate the Beatification of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, happily remembered as "the Great" by those of us who consider ourselves his spiritual children. Pope John Paul the Great left an indelible mark in the souls and consciences of those of us who reached faith-maturity during his leadership. Like Christ, his Teacher, John Paul lived his life doing good. In his principal teaching, Be not afraid, the Pope evoked his Teacher, whom he followed in thought, word, and deed and particularly, in the way of pain and suffering.
Be not afraid was both a challenge and an inspiration to which a whole generation has responded generously. Like the Nazarene, the man from Poland broke chains of the mind and of the spirit. He understood, after having experienced in his own flesh and that of his people the worst tyrannies of the 20th century, that faith, hope, and love are the most powerful weapons against the evil instigated by those who deny God and the unique dignity of every human being.
Pope John Paul the Great was not a man of a shy and weak faith. Many seem to think that the rites of religion are merely to mark transitions and passages, like births or deaths, or that religion is meant to be a kind psychotherapeutic instrument meant to make people "feel good" without imposing any undue demands of moral excellences or "unnecessary" burdens of conscience upon anyone. He ignored those who even dared to quote Holy Scripture against him in order to silence him, and those who demanded that he say what they wanted him to say, he set aside too. Pope John Paul, like the Nazarene 2000 years before, had none of that. The Polish Pope liked to proclaim the mercy of God. That was another of his great themes. God is Love, God is Mercy, and God loves everyone unconditionally. But he emphasized that God's Love must not be received indifferently. No, the God who is Love challenges us to respond to his love generously to Him, and to neighbor. God's Love, once one experiences it like John Paul experienced it in Christ, impels us to better ourselves, to let the "Old Man" die, to be born again, experiencing joy even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Like Jesus Christ, John Paul is a sign of contradiction. He appears defeated by the hands of a world that sees itself as free, enlightened and "grown up," a world that considers total personal autonomy its holy grail. John Paul appears defeated by the forces of exploitation and misogyny, disguised as they go under the cloak of "liberation." Like Christ, John Paul seems antiquated and ridiculous. Yet, this same world implodes, even as it waves its flag of "independence." We see the consequences of this implosion everywhere: in the expansion of the culture of death, violence, disrespect, and banality that pollutes our environment, the halls of government, the media, the political parties, our homes, and even, at times, the Church.
To be a sign of contradiction is a lonely profession. I can relate to it, albeit in a very limited, imperfect manner. It's a solitary road because most people find the message of Christ a disquieting one, even radical. They think his message should be domesticated, emasculated, rendered easy and without challenges. They want to turn his message into a series of edgeless platitudes, one that does away with our responsibility for our actions. Challenged by Christ's message, the world grows uneasy, finds it impossible to reason or consider arguments and then attacks the messengers because they hate it. Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, and they almost killed Pope John Paul, but the Christ who once rose from the dead will one day raise John Paul and hopefully, with the help of his grace and infinite mercy, will one day raise me too. John Paul, in his own flesh, will see God, and I will too, God willing.
Pope John Paul the Great is my spiritual father and the spiritual father of a multitude who are now carrying his flag and fighting his battle, facing evil and practicing good as best we can. He is the inspiration of an entire generation that, fearless, continues witnessing before a Neo-Pagan world the Good News that only in Christ will everyone find ultimate salvation, healing, and dignity. The voice of the prophet John Paul is no longer with us, yet his message survives. He lives in Christ, and before him he continues to intercede for his Church and for the world, while awaiting the final victory of good over evil, knowing fully that death will not have the last word in the human drama.
We are no longer afraid. I am no longer afraid. We are neither alone nor abandoned. On this Monday of the Passion of Our Lord we dare to say Holy Father John Paul the Great, pray for us!, as we await in joyful hope the glorious manifestation of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Come Lord Jesus!