Praised be Jesus Christ! Dear Friends, for this week, it seems most appropriate to have our dear Holy Father, Pope St. John Paul II continue to accompany us. His entire life was a living witness of faith, hope, unconditional love, suffering, persevering through the struggles of life and in his case, the horrors of the Nazi occupation of Poland. He experienced loss of loved ones from a young age and saw the best and worst of mankind.
As our father, he speaks these words to you today:
“If we do not encounter love, if we do not experience it and make it our own, and if we do not participate intimately in it, our life is meaningless. Without love, we remain incomprehensible to ourselves.”
“It was Christ’s work on the Cross to bring together the broken fragments of humanity. “
“Whoever passes through the great catechesis of the cross, whoever contemplates its mystery, cannot come away from the cross with empty hands. He must feel that he possesses hands ready for great tasks; that he possesses a heart ready for true love; that all of life is worthy to be lived freely…”
“Love is beautiful when it is true, when it can stand up to the experiences and trials of life.”
“It is in the difficult moments, in moments of trial, that the quality of decisions is measured. Thus, it is in this difficult time that each one of you will be called to have the courage of your decision. There are no short cuts to happiness and light. The torment of all those who, throughout the history of humanity, have tirelessly sought the meaning of life, answers to the fundamental questions written on the heart of every human being, are proof of this.”
“Christ alone is the cornerstone on which it is possible solidly to build one’s existence. Only Christ – know, contemplate, and loved – is the faithful friend who never lets us down, who becomes our traveling companion, and whose words warm our hearts.”
“Do not forget that true love sets no conditions; it does not calculate or complain but simply loves.”
“One thing is sure: the more your love is pure and generous, the more will there shine forth the beauty of Christianity and, as it were, the attractiveness of the Gospel.”
“Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence.”
