John Paul II
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We live in Fear
For a long time, Satan has been spreading a lie:
This is a godless universe. Life on earth came from complete chaos by blind chance. Nothing governs the world. We came from nothing. We are headed toward nothing. And unless you get on top, your life means nothing, and you are worthless, and no one cares for you.
That pressure is overwhelming. That pressure drives us to a competitive fight for survival or a fear that paralyzes us from taking the risk of responsibility because if we fail – we die.
Humanity lives in this fear. And another word for habitual fear is anxiety.
Do you feel as though life is overwhelming at time?
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Karol Wojtyla knew the fear of being totally alone in the world.
Born in 1920, his only siter, Olga, died in infancy. His mother died before his ninth birthday and his brother Edmond died when he was twelve.
At nineteen, Hitler and the Nazis invade Poland and murdered 7,000,000 Poles.
Shortly after WWII began, his father died.
By the time Karol Wojtyla was 20 years old, his Father, Mother, brother and sister were all dead. He has no family in the world and his country is plunged into WWII.
I am sure he knew what is was to be alone and afraid in the world.
Do you ever feel alone in the world?
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Slave Laborer
The Nazis forced all able-bodied Polish men into a kind of slave labor force.
Young Karol Wojtyla worked at the Savoy Chemical Plant.
But God was watching over all things. And God sent an introverted tailor named Jan Tyranowski to mentor Karol.
Jan gave Karol the book True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis De Montfort, which we took to the factory. The same copy he caried with him the rest of his life, covered with chemical stains.
This was the turning point in his life. Meditating on this book during his night shift at the factory he came to realize he was not alone in the world - Mary was his mother; She helped him to know Jesus his Brother and that God was his Father.
With that knowledge he was able to go forward in life with confidence.
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Ordination
Under the guidance of Jan Tyranowski, Karol Wojtyla entered the clandestine seminary under Nazi and then Communist occupation. He was ordained a priest in 1946. In 1953 the Soviet Communists placed the top Polish cardinal, Stephan Wyszynski under house arrest. There, in the silence, he reflected on Poland’s history, that every time their situation looked hopeless, they turned with confidence to Mary, re-consecrating themselves to her, and she set them free.
This gave him the inspiration to send word secretly to all the people of Poland to consecrate themselves to Mary once again for the freedom of the Church and of Poland. Three years later, on May 16, 1956, 1 million Polish people gathered at Czestochowa, where the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna resides, to consecrate themselves to Mary. After each verse of the consecration, the entire crowd shouted out “Queen of Poland! We Promise!” Two months later, Wyszynski was set free.
One of the priests present at that famous consecration was Karol Wojtyla, who said that that consecration was deeply engraved on his heart.
October 16, 1978, Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 450 years. In a homily at Czestochowa John Paul said: “I have, in fact, taken with me from Poland to the chair of St. Peter in Rome this “holy habit” of the heart (entrustment and confidence in Our Lady of Czestoshowa) which has been built up by the faith of so many generations, has been tested by the Christian experience of so many centuries, and is deeply rooted in my soul.” (p. 118 Totus Tuus by Calkins)
His took as his Episcopal Moto “Totus Tuus”
· I am totally yours and all that is mine is yours dear Jesus through the hands of Mary
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In his first address as the Pope, John Paul proclaimed: Do not be afraid!
And why should we have no fear? Because we are not alone!
St. John Paul II: “We need, perhaps more than ever, the words of the Risen Christ: “Be not afraid!”…Peoples and nations of the entire world need to hear these words. Their conscience needs to grow in the certainty that Someone exists who holds in His hands the destiny of this passing world; Someone who holds the keys to death and the netherworld (cf. Rev 1:18); Someone who is the Alpha and the Omega of human history (cf. Rev 22:13)—be it the individual or collective history. And this Someone is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8, 16)—Love that became man, Love crucified and risen, Love unceasingly present among men. It is Eucharistic Love. It is the infinite source of communion. He alone can give the ultimate assurance when He says, “Be not afraid!” Crossing the Threshold of Hope
The prolonged feeling of fear can lead to anxiety. So, let’s recall what we’ve been learning these past days. You can resist that strong feeling of fear and you can change it by thinking and by acting.
We must think about reality and know what is real and what is not. You are not alone in the world. That is not reality. It is a lie.
God is your Father. He is here. He made you, knows you and loves you and He is always working for your good through everything you experience. You are safe. Tell yourself the truth - I am safe.
Then make the choice to act on this. To live in this reality. Then
Go forward and live and act and do everything with confidence that God your Father is taking care of you.