As the canonizations of Pope John XXII and Pope John Paul II approach, I find myself recently reminded of their lives – specifically Pope John Paul II. He always pushed himself to give to the people among many other popes, but what tugs on my heartstrings is when he continued to do so even when he became really sick. He could hardly physically move and he could hardy talk, but he still loved His people beyond his own capabilities.
With many critics lashing out about his so-called ‘incapability,’ they started saying things like, “He is no longer pope,” just because he couldn’t physically do anything. But in fact, I believe that this is when he shined even more! In the words of St. Francis Assisi…
“Preach the gospel. If necessary, use words.”
And this is what he did. He continued to preach through his actions. In the efforts he made to reach out to us, appearing before us (even in the state of illness), he showed us the greatness of his love for God and His people. He never stopped praying. He never stopped preaching.
The language of the world is love so in his silence, the world felt love, and in this language, even reaching out to those outside the Church, he made God’s love universal.
Silence is golden.
This is one of the great examples we can follow in our journey. When we feel ill or weak, PUSH ONWARDS! GO ABOVE & BEYOND because it’s worth it to love!