Talk is cheap.
To those subject to the totalitarian communist regimes, Pope John Paul II said, "You are not who they say you are." To the "enlightened" West, the supposed free countries of the world, Pope John Paul's strongest words were never spoken. To the post-Christian secular world, which not quite demanded, but strongly urged that the frail and ailing pontiff step down, Pope John Paul spoke for the helpless, the ailing, the weak, "We are not who you say we are." A man's worth is not measured by his utility. His last years will be called heroic -- he kept to his mission until the very last -- but let us not forget this great lesson. In the dark shadow of the tragedy of Terri Schiavo's end, this pope has given testimony by his very actions that it's not about the "quality of life," it's about the "value of life."
Today, AP put the following on the wire:
Navarro-Valls said John Paul asked aides to read him the biblical passage describing the final stage of the Way of the Cross, the path that Christ took to his Crucifixion. In that stage, according to the Bible, Christ's body was taken down from the cross, wrapped in a linen shroud and placed in his tomb.
Navarro-Valls said the pope followed attentively and made the sign of the cross.
"This is surely an image I have never seen in these 26 years," Navarro-Valls said. Choking up, he walked out of the room.
The pope from Galilee is now the pope at Golgotha.
From John 21:
Posted by Bob at April 1, 2005 08:09 PM17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.
18 Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19 He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."