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 Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday

 April 3, 2005

All who believed were together and had all things in common.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles   2: 42-47

God has given us new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

A reading from the first Letter of Saint Peter 1: 3-9

Eight days later Jesus came and stood in their midst.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John  20: 19-31 

In 1981, May 13, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news that Pope John Paul II had been shot at close range in St. Peter’s Square by a would be assassin.

2005, April2, I will always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news that John Paul II had died.  You always remember the context of events that have great impact and magnitude.  I was with a friend, who, like me had a deep love and respect for the Holy Father.  For a long time he had nothing to say, I had nothing to say; words could not begin to capture or express the feelings and emotions of that moment.  The man, the priest, the pope, whom I have loved, respected, admired, and followed for twenty six years had just died.

I was a teenager in 1978 when John Paul was elected Pope.  Little did I know then that this Pope would be Pope for my entire seminary formation, fifteen years of my priesthood, and that he would have such a major impact on my life.

As a teenager I was interested in truth-where could be found the ultimate meaning of life.  The answer to my question of truth and ultimate meaning I believed could be found in only one institution: the Roman Catholic Church, the fullness of truth resided there.  Why there?  Simply because the Roman Catholic Church has a Pope.  The Pope is a man chosen among men to be the Keeper of the most important office on earth, to be the Vicar of Christ, Christ’s special representative on earth, and to fill the shoes and carry the Keys of Saint Peter, the first Pope.  The Roman Catholic Church is the true Church because of the Pope.  Jesus made a promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against his Church founded by Saint Peter.  Where there is Peter, there is the Church, and where there is the Church, there is truth.

For the past twenty-six years John Paul II has been my and our representative for truth, and he had been a very good one at that.  I cannot begin to describe the impact and influence this man has had on my life and priesthood.  If I had to choose one single person who has had the most influence on my life it would be, hands down, John Paul II.  He was, is, and will always be, my hero.  He was a champion of truth, firm yet loving.  He was a believer, a man of deep faith and conviction.  He was not afraid to confront the errors of our time, whether in the Church or outside it.  He was always very clear where the Church stood morally and doctrinally on every issue of importance.  He left no stone unturned and gave anyone interested in the truth a chance to hear it, love it, and live it.  John Paul II s’ first words to the Church as Pope were, “Be not afraid.”  He lived it.  He spent his entire papacy explaining why we should not be afraid, because we stand on the truth of Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.  One of the greatest gifts that John Paul II has given the Church is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which lays out clearly the teachings of the Church.

One of the greatest gifts of my life was to study theology in Rome.  I spent five years in Rome.  What was so great about it was that I got to spend so much time with John Paul II.  Mass, audiences, Angelus, or just going to Saint Peter’s and knowing he was there.

When I was in Rome there were several occasions when I was in close proximity to John Paul II.  One time in particular I requested to be present at a mass in the Pope’s private chapel because my brother and sister-in-law were visiting Rome.  The request was accepted.  We went very early to the Vatican and were lead along with fifteen other people through a series of long corridors up into the papal apartments and into the Pope’s private chapel.  There, right before us, the pope was kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, his face buried in his hands.  He was so close I could have touched him.  After awhile he got up, vested for Mass, and celebrated Mass.  He celebrated Mass so prayerfully, slowly with great devotion; his love for the Eucharist was evident.  Afterward he came out to greet us and gave us all rosaries and the women a copy of his latest encyclical on women.

The last close encounter I had with John Paul II was not in Rome, but in Denver, Colorado in 1993 at World Youth Day.  It was quite unexpected and came at a particularly difficult time in my life, a new priest finding my way; I was accompanying a group from California.  We were about a half-mile from the stage where the Pope was to celebrate Mass.  An announcement was made early in the morning that concelebrating priests were to come to the front.  I was very early to the area and got a front row seat.  The Pope arrived by helicopter and was accompanied by the Secret Service.  He came onto the stage and saw all the priests lined up.  Against the wishes of the Secret Service he came over to greet us.  There he was right in front of me, he clasped both my hands into his for a moment.  I felt as if it were Jesus.  Priests’ hands are special- we use our hands to celebrate Mass.  At that moment my priesthood was affirmed.  I can always look back on that as a turning point and defining moment.

There is no doubt in my mind that this man is a saint.  He represents well the Master; he filled the shoes of Saint Peter; he deserves the title “Great.”

On May 13, 1981, an assassin’s bullet came within one half an inch of killing John Paul.

It was the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  The Holy Father believed it was the hand of Our Lady that saved his life.  From that moment on he was more aware that his life was not his own, and any time left he would be the special instrument of Our Lady.  To the very end Pope John Paul II was a good and faithful servant.  He died on the eve of the feast he instituted and promoted-Divine Mercy Sunday.  We have all come to know and understand more the Mercy and love of God through John Paul II and Divine Mercy Sunday.

The man is gone, he went to meet his Lord and maker yesterday, his legacy will follow, he has given us so much.  His life was a gift to the Church.  He will continue to be a source of light, truth, and inspiration.  I hope to live to see the day when I can call him, Saint John Paul the Great.  I also look forward to the day when God-willing, I can go back to beloved Rome and kneel in the crypt of Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Tomb of John Paul II and say, “Thank you.”  I would not be the priest or person I am today without his leadership or example.  Thank you John Paul II.  I love you.  We love you.  May the soul of John Paul II and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Father Vincent Gilmore O.Praem.