And, my friends, though I feel that I have no words of wisdom about JPII (although I love him dearly and count him among my special patrons, no matter the state of his canonization), I found that I don’t HAVE to do it all, as with so many other things in my life. God will provide, and, in this case, he provided an array of posts that arrived like bright daffodils in my inbox. Though I found myself pressed for time right when I needed to be gathering graphics and running into dead ends of time right when I needed to be making a big splash, here is the meat of what I needed to find on the “Loveliness of John Paul II.” Here is the loveliness, as a bouquet of posts, sending up their fragrant aroma of insights and shedding the light of early springtime smiles onto what could have been one of the most complicated topics of all time.
So, rather than give you all the facts about JPII, which you can find through any search online and in all kinds of great books, I’m going to just yield to the beauty of these posts. Thank you for sharing this time and space with me. Cozy on up for some reading that will make you smile, maybe bring up a tear to your eye, and definitely give you some food for thought (or, keeping with my floral theme, should I say, “give you a vase for your that kitchen table in your mind, where you’ll sit down later to think”?).
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Leonie starts things out, reflecting on where she was a year ago, on the anniversary of John Paul II’s death. She shares some of her children’s artwork and gets us reflecting, right off the bat, about what JPII’s death meant.
Michele takes us on the journey of her conversion to the Catholic Church. “Words alone cannot describe the impact that this wonderful man has had on our family’s life!” she writes. “It is because of John Paul’s holy example that I began my first step towards the Catholic Church. It was John Paul that was a decisive influence in my husband’s young faith life. It was largely because of John Paul that we have our precious little Jonathan with us today.” Read on. There’s more, including a close that I just can’t give away here (it’s that good – go see for yourself!).
Finding yourself looking for a way to involve John Paul II in your life everyday? Thanks to Ruth, we have a slide show of amazing pictures (how did she do that?!) and a prayer for his intercession. What a beautiful way to commemorate this special day!
Over in Elena’s neck of the woods, you’ll find her memories of John Paul II’s election and her thoughts on his pontificate. Among her memories: “I remember too what a trim figure he was in his white pontifical garb. He was handsome and charming. He walked with energy and with purpose and I think it was that part of his pontificate that captured the hearts and minds of the young. In those early years, the pope showed the youth that it was okay to have fun, it was okay to be athletic and to do big and exciting things. It wasn’t a choice between holiness and living a vigorous athletic life. Holiness could and should be part of such a life!” She continues the journey through his pontificate and life, marking her memories and the big milestones in a way that is touching and enjoyable.
Mary too remembers the conclave that elected JPII, and she shares her memories of seeing him – TWICE! – when he was in the United States. As a fellow Pole, she paints a picture of John Paul II’s visits that those of us who weren’t there can appreciate, and that resonate across the space and time that separate us from the actual event. “John Paul II, we love you,” INDEED!
Esther starts off with a sentiment I echo completely: “Our paths sadly never crossed. But like many other Catholics, cradle or converts, I owe my growth in faith to both my mom and to John Paul the Great!” She goes on to list her favorite quotes by John Paul II and a list of her favorite books of his. What a great resource to those quote-o-philes and bibliophiles who might be in need of some of either. 
Margaret shares about John Paul II’s loveliness by telling of his gift for softening her heart when she saw him. “Basically what happened is that he began to speak, and I began to cry. And I continued to do so for the entire address and throughout the entire evening. I know that certain holy people are given charisms, that is, “a power, generally of a spiritual nature, believed to be a freely given gift by the grace of God.” I also know that one of the promises of the Sacred Heart is the ability to touch hearts, even the most hardened.”
Elizabeth’s letter to Papa will make you step back for a moment. “Dear Papa,” she begins simply. Later on, “I remembered a time two years ago that was dark and sad. I was struggling with depression and so was Mike. Together, we were fumbling in confusion. Recovery from childbirth had been difficult. Recovery from a miscarriage more difficult. A year of infertility following that miscarriage was a year of pain like none I’d ever known. No light. Only darkness. And on that Friday night, I held an eerie vigil in front of the muted television. Please God, I don’t know what I’ll do without my Papa. And yet I know, I know that he is yours; he always was. Morning dawned and the day moved forward and then you were gone.”
Jen reminds us, in her post, that “The sadness of missing him is every bit as strong as it was that April day when I say crying on the couch with my daughter. I see photos of him in churches and I have to look away. I was only 2, I think, when he became pope. The church without him is nothing I could fathom.” Her reflection in thanksgiving for a life well-lived reminds us too that he continues to lead us from his place in heaven.
Has it really been TWO years? Mary asks in the title of her post. “Sometimes it seems so long ago…and other days it seems like just yesterday.” She continues on to share the blessing of her son, Johannes-Paul Stephen, by his namesake, and how seeing John Paul II just three years before his death has impacted her life.
Matilda adds to our bouquet with a rose and an excerpt from a John Paul II speech to 100,000 families in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jen told me she wasn’t even planning to write anything today, but it “flowed right out.” “All of a sudden today,” she writes in her post, “little ‘coincidences’ kept popping up so I decided to blog.” (Don’t you think JPII would have done the same, Jen?) What was it she wrote about? you ask. For starters, her memories of that day two years ago. And then, she goes back further, to 1998 and the beginning of her “reversion” experience, thanks to JPII. Finally, she shares those little “coincidences” that prompted her post.
Alicia dubs herself a “John Paul II Catholic,” and writes about her “childish affection” (which I think would be just the kind of affection both JPII and his mentor, JC, would be big fans of, Alicia!). She was there for World Youth Day in 1993, and she watched Communism fall with a growing awareness for what a man this was. “When I am overwhelmed with the evil that goes on in this world; when I am frightened for my children and the harm that might come to them; it is his “Be Not Afraid!” that puts me back on the right track. His words were brought to life for me and so many others by his witness and by his actions during his lifetime – particularly as he continued to work and witness even in his suffering and illness.”
Like so many of us, Jenn found herself struggling for words to express her thoughts about John Paul II. She saw him twice, but perhaps his biggest impact is in the life of a child and in his sufferings. “He didn’t hide it from us — he showed us what it meant to suffer. He lifted the veil, showed us to unite ourselves to Christ meant we have to embrace the Cross. To love Christ means to pray and to suffer — and to do it all with joy and in peace.”
Maryan’s reflection on John Paul II takes us through a walk in her life, punctuated by papal highlights. From his involvement in her friendship, courtship, and marriage with her husband, to the naming of her oldest, John Paul II has been a vital part of Maryan’s life.
What better way to reflect on John Paul II than with children crawling in your lap, as Christine told me she did? She categorized it in my inbox as her “random thoughts,” but I think you’ll appreciate her conciseness and collection of favorite links.
Jim shares a poem about one of the two most influential people in his life, John Paul II (the other is his brother, a priest). It will take you twenty seconds to read and twenty minutes to digest, and it sums up, in five stanzas, that day two years ago.
Comparing John Paul II’s death to the assassination of JFK, where we’ll all remember where we were and what we were doing, Suzanne shares her reflection on JPII’s death, and in particular her interactions with her young son, Simeon, whose special affection for the pope seemed independent of all instruction. “As he sobbed in my arms, I let go my own emotions and cried, too. Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, I saw my six year old son in some way as an equal. Not so much that he had grown up or that I had become very little, but we met somehow on a plane outside of time. For one beautiful moment, my son and I were a brother and sister in the Faith, comforting one another because we had lost our dearly beloved “Papa in Rome.””
Dawn shares a beautiful image and a powerful JPII quote in her first post, and in her second, she shares what she did with her family today, commemorating what we can’t help but call John Paul II’s feast day.
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UPDATES:
Maria sends in an article she wrote a while back, and as a child of divorces myself, I found myself nodding along. “I’m a child of divorce. What’s always bugged me about modern-day thinking on this subject is that it isn’t really thinking. Thinking has become a euphemism for rationalizing.” And with this start, she ties in John Paul II with divorce. Wow. Big credit for tying in two topics I would have never put in the same post!
Karen has been focused on John Paul II a lot lately, and though she titled her post “I’m Such An Idiot,” I would challenge us all to refocus, because forgetting an anniversary isn’t that big of a deal, really. Papa understands, Karen. In fact, he was probably chuckling as he read over your shoulder as you typed! She writes, “He is present to me as never before.” And isn’t that the way with loved ones? Do go read the rest of what she writes, especially if you’re a young mother. You’ll nod along (and remember how much you have forgotten too!).
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Thanks for joining in, everyone who posted and all of you who are reading. Do take the time to ponder each of these posts, and maybe to create your own (late, what’s that? I can update – can’t we all?). What a lovely smell fills my nose and a peace in my soul, thanks to this bouquet of loveliness.
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Small note after the morning sun has revealed my mistakes: Thanks to everyone for being so gracious and patient with me! Maybe there’s a reason we don’t have official Catholic sporting events (not that I was multi-tasking and organizing the fair while I watched the championship game with the other eye, no not I!). (Actually, I was ignoring the game, because these posts were so great!)
Here at Snoring Scholar, you'll find marriage and motherhood, book talk and rambling remarks, observations and distractions, in the midst of life in rural Ohio on a farm, with kids, critters, and Catholic flair.
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