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Blessed John Paul II
1 Ephesians 2:1-10
Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4ab, 4c-5
Luke 12: 13-21
S
UMMARY
St. Paul tells us to remember that our new life in Christ Jesus, was re-
ceived through the grace and love God has for each of us. He minds
us that we are the ˈhandiwork of Godˉ called to reflect His love in our
deeds. Through the Psalm we joyfully respond to the good news of
salvation. We praise and bless God for His everlasting love and faith-
fulness. Through Jesus˅ parable we can see that we must live our
lives focused on ˈwhat matters to Godˉ, not on collecting temporary
riches.
R
EFLECTION
When I saw this statue of then Pope John Paul II in a shop window in
Lourdes, I was immediately drawn to it. I think the most touching thing
about it is the embrace of Mary around her weary servant. This man
who brought the love of God to so many people throughout the world
and who seemed so invincible and strong needed to draw strength
from his mother, our mother. Sometimes when we see the Pope˅s
fancy shoes or his ceremonial robes, all the gold and silver adorning
his surroundings, we might be tempted to think that he is storing up
treasure on earth. But if you examine the life of Blessed John Paul II,
you will see that he always knew that anything he had was only tem-
porary, from his early life in Poland to his journey to become a priest
to his rise through the hierarchy. His Papal motto, ˈTotus tuusˉ,
which translates ˈtotally Yoursˉ, illustrates his complete surrender to
God˅s will in his life. He used his strength and charisma to win souls