Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation: Heed the Warning Signs before It Is Too Late
October 23, 2020Victory from Defeat, by David Warren
October 23, 2020
By Paul Senz, Catholic Exchange, October 22, 2020
On April 2, 2005, the Pope lay dying. After a nearly-27 year pontificate, one of the most famous men in the world was on his death bed. I sat at home, alone, and watched news coverage of this holy man’s last hours. That afternoon, the pope died. A few days later, as I watched coverage of his funeral, I joined in as the crowds chanted “Santo subito! Santo subito!” (Make him a saint now!)
This pope had had a profound effect on my life. I was 17 years old when he died, and he was the only pope I had ever known. I was blessed to be raised in a profoundly Catholic family, in a profoundly Catholic community in rural Oregon, and attend a profoundly Catholic parish and grade school. I was surrounded at home and school by images and stories of the Holy Father. Hanging next to my bed, and used as bookmarks in everything I read, were holy cards featuring John Paul II’s image. As I grew older, and began to explore the writings and teachings of this pope, I saw a clear thread running through everything he did – we are all children of God, and God has given his children and their world a beautiful, ineffable gift in marriage and family life. While I may have been unable to understand all of his writings as a young person (or now…let’s be honest), his theology of the family has had an indescribable influence on myself and countless others. …