New Saints for the Church!!!!

Have you ever gotten that feeling of overwhelming pride because of something so exciting that happened, either to you personally, or to a family member or friend? I’ve experienced it when I received my diplomas, when I accepted my first job offer, when I heard my brother and sister give speeches at their graduations, when I watched a video of my niece take her first steps, and countless other times. It is an emotion I am sure that we’ve all felt, and we love when it when it happens to us.

Today, April 27, 2014 my entire family and I are bursting with pride…All 1.2 billion of us! There are smiles, cheers, tears of joy, and hugs on this Divine Mercy Sunday because today from St. Peter’s Square here in Vatican City, Pope Francis declared that since two of our brothers lived such exemplary lives of Christian heroic virtue, and since people today continue to be inspired by them even years after their deaths, they are to be venerated as members of the Communion of Saints. The Church throughout the world celebrates today the canonizations of Blessed Pope John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II.

As our Catholic family worldwide participates in this historic day, there are people all over recalling memories that we have of these new Saints. For me, personally, JPII holds a special place in my heart, and I’d like to reflect on my fondest memories of WYD2002, when I was blessed enough to attend my first Papal Mass.

In July 2002, I was blessed to attend World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada with Stoughton Life Teen. I remember being feet away from the route the Pope Mobile would be taking. Thousands of Catholic teenagers from every corner of the world were yelling "Giovanni Paolo!” and clapping over and over. Some were so overjoyed at seeing the Vicar of Christ that they wept for joy; others smiled from ear to ear at being able to be in the presence of the Successor of Saint Peter. At first, I remember thinking that this isn’t a Backstreet Boys concert, and that these people were foolish to be crying over someone they’ve never met. But then I caught a glimpse of him. As Pope John Paul II passed by, I saw in him a man who was truly in love with Jesus Christ. He radiated holiness and the love of Christ. It was then that my eyes watered up and I too cried.

At the Eucharistic Holy Hour for Vocations the night before the WYD Mass, the Holy Father gave a talk---I honestly can't tell you anything he said, but we (the crowd) were continually cheering "JP2, WE LOVE YOU!" Finally, he stopped what he was saying and said "JP2 loves you too!” I knew he wasn't just saying it. I knew that this 82-year-old man from Poland, the spiritual father of over one billion souls, meant it. He really loved the youth of the Church. He desired so much for the youth to know that they are loved and needed by the Church. His message was that Jesus Christ loves us and wants us to love Him and live our lives for entirely for Him.

Saint John Paul II had a huge impact on my teen years. Though we never had any personal encounters or conversations, in my heart I know that he prayed for me. I know that he loved me. I know that he wanted me to realize that true happiness comes from having a relationship with Christ, and being in constant communication with Him to find out His will for my life. St. JPII inspired me to draw closer to God. It was from this relationship that I heard the Lord inviting me to follow him in a deeper way by entering the seminary. As I reach the end of my third year in seminary, my desire to lay down my life in service to Christ and His Church, and to serve my brothers and sisters out of a genuine love for them because of my love for Christ has continued to grow stronger.

As today started out, I didn’t have any expectations of being in St. Peter’s Square. I didn’t camp out on the Via della Conciliazione last night as some guys from the NAC did…I left the College with a good friend at 4:45 this morning heading to one of three entrances. When we arrived, we found out the entrance we were could only be entered with a pass, which we did not have. We figured it would be better to remain where we were than to try to get to the other entrance. Even though we couldn’t see the Square from where we were, we knew we would still be able to hear the Mass and the crowds.

Then, Saint JPII helped us out! A priest came up to us and asked (in Italian) if we wanted 2 passes, and all he wanted in exchange was a “Hail Mary” offered up for him! We soon found our way through security and in the Square, being ushered into the front section for clergy! We settled in the back row, and soon discovered that most of the guys around us were also seminarians. We breathed a sigh of relief knowing we didn’t just impersonate priests, but that we were in a section for priests and seminarians. (Which later filled in with other lay men and women).

As it got closer to Mass start time, the excitement began to build. The entrance for Mass was the Litany of the Saints, asking for the prayers and intercessions of all the Saints in heaven for those of us still on earth. The Cardinal Prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints petitions the Holy Father to raise the two Blesseds to the status of Sainthood. Pope Francis responds (in Latin)

“We declare and define John XXIII and John Paul II Saints and we enroll them among the Saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole Church. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

And then…applause! It was so AWESOME to sing, “Shout to the Lord! Sing to the Lord!” (In Latin, of course), rejoicing that the Church was given two new Saints. As a brother in the house pointed out yesterday, Saints aren’t made Saints for their sake, they’ve already received their reward (heaven)…rather, they are made Saints for our sake. We can look to them as role models. They are men and women who gave their lives to Christ and so sought to conform their will to His, and because of their earthly lives, they now enjoy the heavenly promise!

John Paul II was the first pope I “knew”, he was the pope who showed me that not only did the Pope love me, but also that my Church loves me and, most importantly, that my Heavenly Father loves me. As I’ve already said, because I recognized the Father’s love for me, I was able to hear Him inviting me to discern the priesthood, and the entire course of my life was changed! All because John Paul II, my brother in Christ and the first Holy Father I knew made it a priority to reach out to the youth. And today, he is my newest intercessor in heaven as he was raised to Sainthood, and for this I am bursting with pride!

Sancti Ioannes XXIII et Ioannes Palus II, orate pro nobis!

(Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II, pray for us!)

Pope John Paul II at WYD2002 in Toronto, Canada
(Photo Credit: www.stoughtonlifeteen.com)