Today I chose the readings for the Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope. On October 5, 1995, I was blessed to be one of 90,000 people in attendance at Giants Stadium as Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass. It was a day I will never forget and one I remember quite differently from the news stories.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, Announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” This is the first verse of today’s first reading from Isaiah and the last verse reads, The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations. In the gospel today Jesus offers Peter three opportunities to reaffirm his love and be reconciled. Jesus commands Peter to “feed my lambs,” “tend my sheep,” and “feed my sheep.” The Church believes that this passage establishes Peter as the leader of the early church and the first pope. These two readings are perfect for today’s memorial.
While I was not on a mountain that October day, a beautiful soul walked among us, in that stadium, bearing good news and reminding us that God is King. How beautiful among our hearts are his footprints from that day. When I think back on that day, I do not remember the other 89, 999 people. I do not remember the rain and wind. I remember for a short while feeling like I was the only one there with the Pope. I remember feeling a sense of peace that I cannot put into words. At one point during the Mass, I remember the Pope’s image on the big screen. He was clinging to his staff(ferula) holding it close to his head, his eyes closed in prayer. His hands wrapped around it just below the feet of Jesus. He was clinging to Christ and inviting me to do the same. The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations and I was in the presence of holiness.
The other memory I have from that day was the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament. It seemed like an army of priests appeared out of nowhere and began distributing communion. It was amazing and I thought to myself this is how the people at the sermon on the mount must have felt. They witnessed a miracle, and I was receiving a miracle. John Paul II fed Jesus’ sheep that day.
John Paul II also had a love of the rosary. He gave us the Luminous Mysteries and spoke often on the importance of saying the rosary. He called it the "prayer of peace." In these final days of the month of the Rosary, during a time when tensions are high both here and internationally, try to set some time aside to pray the rosary. Pray for our Blessed Mother and Saint John Paul II to intercede for us for peace in our world.