Homily for Memorial of St. John Paul II

Homily for the Memorial of
St. John Paul II
Tuesday, 29th Week of Ordinary Time

Oct. 22, 2024
Collect
Eph 2: 12-22
Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s Residence, N.R.  

“You were … without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2: 12).

Paul’s addressing Gentile Christians, former pagans, worshippers of Zeus, Athena, and other Greek divinities, aliens to the covenant between God and Israel.  They didn’t know the one God of the universe and thus were “without hope and without God in the world.”

“But,” Paul goes on, “now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have become near by the blood of Christ” (2:13).  They were once far away from both God, whom they didn’t know and whom perhaps they had offended by their pagan lifestyles, and far away from a covenant relationship with God.  Now Christ’s offer of grace thru his sacrificial death has brought Gentiles, too, into the covenant.

St. John Paul’s entire ministry as priest, bishop, and Pope was one of reconciliation, of inviting people into Christ’s embrace.  “Be not afraid!  Open wide the door to Christ!”  Christ is “rich in mercy” (cf. Collect) and as “the sole Redeemer of mankind” (Collect) offers saving grace to young people and to couples sanctified by marriage; two of his lasting legacies are World Youth Day and his theology of the body.  He forged a new relationship with our elder Jewish brothers and sisters, who remain people of the covenant.  John Paul even addressed the alienation of his would-be assassin.

We’ve been “instructed by his teaching” (Collect).  His writings merit the title Doctor of the Church, which I expect will be bestowed upon him eventually.  His entire sacrificial life, his travels, his energy, his labors for human liberation (both spiritual and political), and his joy also were instructive.  All together induce many to call him John Paul the Great.

He displayed boundless love for Christ and Christ’s people, notably the young, who felt a special kinship with him.  Just recall mobs of youths at WYD shouting, “JP2, we love you,” and the crowd that stuffed via della Conciliazione on the evening of his death, chanting, “Santo subito!”  (As a university student, Karol Wojtyla learned youth ministry from his Salesian pastors at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Krakow.)

JPII with youngsters at Becchi, Don Bosco's birthplace

John Paul taught us that we don’t find true life or true freedom in capitalism or socialism but in worshiping God and loving our neighbor.  “The Lord speaks of peace to his people” (Ps 85:9); Christ reconciles and makes peace when we open our doors to him and focus fearlessly on him.  We live joyfully because Christ loves us with tender mercy and redeems us.