The Beatification of John Paul II
“There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John” (Jn 1: 6). John the Evangelist records these words about John the Baptist, and I believe we can apply this to the life of Blessed John Paul II. He continues to attract millions of people even after his death. I was very tired after a sleepless night travel, finishing up my Easter holidays, but still couldn’t resist the temptation to attend the Saturday night vigil service prior to the Beatification ceremony of John Paul II. The prayer service, conducted at Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus) is within walking distance from our house. This ground previoulsy used by ancient Romans for their chariot races and in its heights could hold more than 200,000 spectators. Amidst applause and tears Sister Marie Simon-Pierre described the miracle she attributes to Pope John Paul’s intercession, how she felt something change in her and her symptoms of Parkinson’s disease were gone.
I spent some time praying along with the multitude of people gathered from all continents. Then I walked around for some pictures. There was an electrifying energy in the air as thousands of people gathered in one place, and prayed with lighted candles, and listened to the testimonies of the people who came from all over the world. It was the holiness of John Paul II, which was instrumental in bringing all these people together. There were all kinds of nationalities and both young and old. The city of Rome has done an admirable job arranging to accommodate the influx of a large number of people. I took a few pictures of young children praying with candles, teenagers making their way to open their sleeping bag to find some space to take rest, and some elderly women with tears and joy attending the vigil service.
After the night’s vigil service it was not easy for me to wake up early in the morning and be at St. Peter’s square before everyone else. It was impossible to get a space even if I did get there before 4: a.m. After unsuccessfully trying to get somewhere close to St. Peter’s for more than an hour I decided to watch the Beatification Mass on television.
John Paul was instrumental in influencing a whole generation. He continues to be the beacon of light for millions of people around the world. The people express their special love for him in different ways. Just as in the first centuries of Christianity, it was the popular demand, which put him on the ‘fast track’ to the Canonization process.
In reality when we look at his life, not many of us went through the sufferings John Paul II did as a child and young man. He lost his entire family even before becoming a priest. He courageously faced the Nazi and Communist atrocities. He gave up a promising career as an actor or a writer to become a priest. When one of his friends remarked that he would defeat the enemies with his gun, the young Karol Wojtyla remarked that he would defeat them with his rosary. He experienced extreme physical pain when he had to work in the quarry, breaking the hard rocks. However, his faith was strong enough to overcome every obstacle he faced in his life. Because of his complete surrender to the Lord, he became not only the leader of the Universal Church, but also the moral voice of the world. No single person in human history had met people face to face as John Paul II. Millions of people attended his funeral from all continents. He has given an example to all of us on how to be reflection of Christ in our day-to-day life. The best way to express our love and affection for John Paul is to follow Christ faithfully as he did.
