Man needs role models to imitate. To live a particular virtue or vice, he has to see it lived, modeled before his eyes; in flesh and blood, mobile. That is the purpose of role models; to exemplify in virtue that others may have the courage to take a bold step to follow their paths. Today the world needs role models, more than celebrities who merely create fuss out of their new Cadillac. The world thirsts for men who can talk about virtues and walk their talk about virtues. And role models are not lacking in this generation. The good Lord provides for man models whom they can look up to and imitate in living in virtues. One of these role models for the post-modern world is Karol Józef Wojtyła popurlarly known as St. Pope John Paul II.
On May 18, 1920, in the town of Wadowice, Poland, Karol Józef Wojtyła was born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. Youngest among the three children, Karol Józef Wojtyła had a brother, Edmund, and a sister, Olga. He was baptized on June 20, 1920. He received his first communion when he was nine years old. He was ordained to the order of priesthood on November 1, 1946. He was appointed as a bishop by Pius XII on July 4, 1958 and was consecrated to the episcopate on September 28, 1958. He was created as a cardinal by Paul VI on June 26, 1967. He was elected by the 1978 conclave as the 263rd successor of Peter. His papacy lasted for 27 years. He died on April 2, 2005. He was beatified by Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011, at St. Peter's Square. Two years after, he was canonized by Francis on April 27, 2014.
A lot of things can be said about St. John Paul II such: He made 146 pastoral visits in Italy. He 317 visited parishes of the current 322 Roman parishes. He took 104 international apostolic journeys. He wrote14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters. He was published five books, namely: Crossing the Threshold of Hope (October 1994); Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination (November 1996); Roman Triptych, meditations in poetry (March 2003); Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way (May 2004) and Memory and Identity (February 2005). He celebrated 147 beatifications, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blesseds. He presided over 51 canonizations in which event he raised to the altars a total of 482 saints. He convoked 15 assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, 6 ordinary general sessions (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2001), 1 extraordinary general session (1985) , 8 special sessions (1980, 1991,1994,1995,1997,1998 (2) and 1999). He promulgates the Codes of Canon Law for the Latin and the Oriental Churches. He allowed the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He began the celebration of World Youth Day, in 1984. Truly with these immense tasks accomplished, St. John Paul II was blessed by the Lord to be able to do all these. And St. John Paul II became a blessing too for many in the modern world; becoming their inspiration, their role model today.
Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper and denied Christ, David had an affair and tried to cover it up with murder, Noah got drunk. Elisha was suicidal, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer and he was way too religious.
Timothy had too many ulcers, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Rahab was a prostitute, Samson – he liked prostitute. Isaiah preached naked for three years, John the Baptist ate bugs and had second thoughts about the very Messiah he baptized.
Jeremiah was way too emotional, Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was too short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies those who are called!
St. John Paul II was called by God to his vocation as the servant of the servants of God. He, just like many of us, is not qualified for the vocation God has called him to live. Through an in-depth analysis of the life of St. John Paul II, one can understand how God prepared this person to receive a great task from God and fulfill it more than satisfactorily. The life of St. John Paul II is filled with many aspects and instance where one can see the hands of God working in his life; guiding him towards the path of holiness and salvation. It is also evident in his life, how St. John Paul II cooperated in the will of the One who called him. For the purpose of elucidating this point, this paper will present four incidents in the life of St. John Paul II, with the aim of illustrating how God made him qualified to the vocation He had given to His servant.
Death of Emilia Kaczorowska, his mother. At the age of nine, St. John Paul II's mother died. He lost his mother but he found his heavenly Mother in the Lady of Czestochowa. There is a pious story on how St. John Paul II formed his devotion to Mary. One day, his widowed father, who had solely raised his son after the death of his wife, brought St. John Paul II to the Shrine of the Lady of Czestochowa. There the elder Karol introduce his son to the Lady. Looking intently at the icon of the Lady, he silently uttered “You would now be my Mother.” From that time on St. John Paul II took Mary as his Mother, and indeed Mary took him as her son. When St. John Paul II became a Pope he took as his motto the phrase of a Marian saint; Totus tuus, Totally yours. It is a phrase written by St. Louis de Montfort. It pertains to the total dedication of one's self to Mary; his personal Consecration to Mary. He lost a mother. But in Mary, he gained a one true spiritual Mother who guided him through his life.
Spending Childhood in a Jewish Community. As a young boy, St. John Paul II spent his childhood days in a Jewish community in Wadowice. Football games were often organized between teams of Jews and Catholics, and St. John Paul II often played on the Jewish side. This exposure to other faith would prove to be of great help to St. John Paul II in his Petrine ministry, particular on inter-faith dialogue. On October 27, 1986, in Assisi, he organized a gathering of various religious leaders in a inter-faith activity. In 1986, he became the first pope who entered a synagogue. In 2001, he entered too in a mosque in Damascus. His interest with other religious was not limited to the Abrahamic tradition. He also reach-out to the religions of Asia such Hinduism, Buddhism and others. His early encounters with persons belonging to other faith, perhaps, made him realize that God is present too in other religions, in Judaism, in Islam and the likes.
Rhapsodic Theater Experience at the Krakow's Jagiellonian University. IN 1938, after finishing high in Wadowice, St. John Paul II entered the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In the University, he enrolled in a school of drama. And in 1942, he would be a pioneer member of the Rhapsodic Theater. It is a clandestine theater aimed to foster Polish patriotism. This experience in the theater would help him in optimizing theatrical movements and postures as a pope who faced the “global theater.” This does not mean that his actions were merely actions by an actor pretending to be someone else. His actions resonated from his genuine self. However, his thoughts, feelings, and emotions were beautifully expressed through his theatrical skills. He would use his eyes, hands, cane, staff, the children around him and the likes to communicate more effectively the message he would like to convey. He can be likened to an actor, a showman. However he neither pretended to be another person, nor he mounted a show. He simply be who he is and utilized theatrical skills to expressed his genuine self.
Sweat and Blood at the Quarry and Factory. In 1939, the Nazi occupied Poland. They closed the Jagiellonian University. They forced non-Jewish students and members of the academe to work in quarries and factories (Jews were sent to concentration camps to be executed). From 1940 to 1944 St. John Paul II worked in a quarry and factory in Solvay. Here he experienced the difficult conditions of workers. He too shed blood, sweat and tears just like the other workers. He felt hunger, thirst, tired and the likes. He became a worker. This working experience had formed his heart to have compassion to the working force. As a pope he wrote social encyclicals namely, Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year) in 1991, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concern) in 1987, and Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) in 1981. He fiercely spoke against the inhuman treatment of workers in the present times, which have use man as a means towards the economic gains of some. He knew what he was talking about for he himself experienced such inhuman treatment. And he wanted others to suffer the same difficulties he had in those quarries and factories of Salvoy.
The life of St. John Paul II showed how God prepared his servant to the task that would be entrusted to him. Indeed, God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those who are called by preparing them through the various chapters of their lives. However, God is asking for one thing from those who are called. God is asking for a “Yes.” Yes to His call. Yes to the preparations he laid down. Yes to the task he entrusts. Yes to Him. One need not be afraid, for whenever God calls, He makes sure that he who is called is well prepared, and is made qualified to the vocation entrusted to him. Just like St. John Paul II, do not afraid!
References
Weigel George, The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II – The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy (New York: Image Books, 2010).
Booklet for the Celebration of the Canonization of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, 27 April 2014.
Short Biography (of Karol Józef Wojtyła), retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/news_ services/press/documentazione/documents/santopadre_biografie/giovanni_paolo_ii_biografia_breve_en.html on October 10, 2014.
John Paul II Biography, Pope (1920–2005), retrieved from http://www.biography. com/people/john-paul-ii-9355652#synopsis, on October 11, 2014.
On May 18, 1920, in the town of Wadowice, Poland, Karol Józef Wojtyła was born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. Youngest among the three children, Karol Józef Wojtyła had a brother, Edmund, and a sister, Olga. He was baptized on June 20, 1920. He received his first communion when he was nine years old. He was ordained to the order of priesthood on November 1, 1946. He was appointed as a bishop by Pius XII on July 4, 1958 and was consecrated to the episcopate on September 28, 1958. He was created as a cardinal by Paul VI on June 26, 1967. He was elected by the 1978 conclave as the 263rd successor of Peter. His papacy lasted for 27 years. He died on April 2, 2005. He was beatified by Benedict XVI on May 1, 2011, at St. Peter's Square. Two years after, he was canonized by Francis on April 27, 2014.
A lot of things can be said about St. John Paul II such: He made 146 pastoral visits in Italy. He 317 visited parishes of the current 322 Roman parishes. He took 104 international apostolic journeys. He wrote14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters. He was published five books, namely: Crossing the Threshold of Hope (October 1994); Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination (November 1996); Roman Triptych, meditations in poetry (March 2003); Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way (May 2004) and Memory and Identity (February 2005). He celebrated 147 beatifications, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blesseds. He presided over 51 canonizations in which event he raised to the altars a total of 482 saints. He convoked 15 assemblies of the Synod of Bishops, 6 ordinary general sessions (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2001), 1 extraordinary general session (1985) , 8 special sessions (1980, 1991,1994,1995,1997,1998 (2) and 1999). He promulgates the Codes of Canon Law for the Latin and the Oriental Churches. He allowed the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He began the celebration of World Youth Day, in 1984. Truly with these immense tasks accomplished, St. John Paul II was blessed by the Lord to be able to do all these. And St. John Paul II became a blessing too for many in the modern world; becoming their inspiration, their role model today.
* * *
Isaac was a day dreamer, Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper and denied Christ, David had an affair and tried to cover it up with murder, Noah got drunk. Elisha was suicidal, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer and he was way too religious.
Timothy had too many ulcers, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Rahab was a prostitute, Samson – he liked prostitute. Isaiah preached naked for three years, John the Baptist ate bugs and had second thoughts about the very Messiah he baptized.
Jeremiah was way too emotional, Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was too short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies those who are called!
St. John Paul II was called by God to his vocation as the servant of the servants of God. He, just like many of us, is not qualified for the vocation God has called him to live. Through an in-depth analysis of the life of St. John Paul II, one can understand how God prepared this person to receive a great task from God and fulfill it more than satisfactorily. The life of St. John Paul II is filled with many aspects and instance where one can see the hands of God working in his life; guiding him towards the path of holiness and salvation. It is also evident in his life, how St. John Paul II cooperated in the will of the One who called him. For the purpose of elucidating this point, this paper will present four incidents in the life of St. John Paul II, with the aim of illustrating how God made him qualified to the vocation He had given to His servant.
Death of Emilia Kaczorowska, his mother. At the age of nine, St. John Paul II's mother died. He lost his mother but he found his heavenly Mother in the Lady of Czestochowa. There is a pious story on how St. John Paul II formed his devotion to Mary. One day, his widowed father, who had solely raised his son after the death of his wife, brought St. John Paul II to the Shrine of the Lady of Czestochowa. There the elder Karol introduce his son to the Lady. Looking intently at the icon of the Lady, he silently uttered “You would now be my Mother.” From that time on St. John Paul II took Mary as his Mother, and indeed Mary took him as her son. When St. John Paul II became a Pope he took as his motto the phrase of a Marian saint; Totus tuus, Totally yours. It is a phrase written by St. Louis de Montfort. It pertains to the total dedication of one's self to Mary; his personal Consecration to Mary. He lost a mother. But in Mary, he gained a one true spiritual Mother who guided him through his life.
Spending Childhood in a Jewish Community. As a young boy, St. John Paul II spent his childhood days in a Jewish community in Wadowice. Football games were often organized between teams of Jews and Catholics, and St. John Paul II often played on the Jewish side. This exposure to other faith would prove to be of great help to St. John Paul II in his Petrine ministry, particular on inter-faith dialogue. On October 27, 1986, in Assisi, he organized a gathering of various religious leaders in a inter-faith activity. In 1986, he became the first pope who entered a synagogue. In 2001, he entered too in a mosque in Damascus. His interest with other religious was not limited to the Abrahamic tradition. He also reach-out to the religions of Asia such Hinduism, Buddhism and others. His early encounters with persons belonging to other faith, perhaps, made him realize that God is present too in other religions, in Judaism, in Islam and the likes.
Rhapsodic Theater Experience at the Krakow's Jagiellonian University. IN 1938, after finishing high in Wadowice, St. John Paul II entered the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In the University, he enrolled in a school of drama. And in 1942, he would be a pioneer member of the Rhapsodic Theater. It is a clandestine theater aimed to foster Polish patriotism. This experience in the theater would help him in optimizing theatrical movements and postures as a pope who faced the “global theater.” This does not mean that his actions were merely actions by an actor pretending to be someone else. His actions resonated from his genuine self. However, his thoughts, feelings, and emotions were beautifully expressed through his theatrical skills. He would use his eyes, hands, cane, staff, the children around him and the likes to communicate more effectively the message he would like to convey. He can be likened to an actor, a showman. However he neither pretended to be another person, nor he mounted a show. He simply be who he is and utilized theatrical skills to expressed his genuine self.
Sweat and Blood at the Quarry and Factory. In 1939, the Nazi occupied Poland. They closed the Jagiellonian University. They forced non-Jewish students and members of the academe to work in quarries and factories (Jews were sent to concentration camps to be executed). From 1940 to 1944 St. John Paul II worked in a quarry and factory in Solvay. Here he experienced the difficult conditions of workers. He too shed blood, sweat and tears just like the other workers. He felt hunger, thirst, tired and the likes. He became a worker. This working experience had formed his heart to have compassion to the working force. As a pope he wrote social encyclicals namely, Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year) in 1991, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (On Social Concern) in 1987, and Laborem Exercens (On Human Work) in 1981. He fiercely spoke against the inhuman treatment of workers in the present times, which have use man as a means towards the economic gains of some. He knew what he was talking about for he himself experienced such inhuman treatment. And he wanted others to suffer the same difficulties he had in those quarries and factories of Salvoy.
The life of St. John Paul II showed how God prepared his servant to the task that would be entrusted to him. Indeed, God does not call the qualified. He qualifies those who are called by preparing them through the various chapters of their lives. However, God is asking for one thing from those who are called. God is asking for a “Yes.” Yes to His call. Yes to the preparations he laid down. Yes to the task he entrusts. Yes to Him. One need not be afraid, for whenever God calls, He makes sure that he who is called is well prepared, and is made qualified to the vocation entrusted to him. Just like St. John Paul II, do not afraid!
References
Weigel George, The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II – The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy (New York: Image Books, 2010).
Booklet for the Celebration of the Canonization of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, 27 April 2014.
Short Biography (of Karol Józef Wojtyła), retrieved from http://www.vatican.va/news_ services/press/documentazione/documents/santopadre_biografie/giovanni_paolo_ii_biografia_breve_en.html on October 10, 2014.
John Paul II Biography, Pope (1920–2005), retrieved from http://www.biography. com/people/john-paul-ii-9355652#synopsis, on October 11, 2014.
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