Be Not Afraid!
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Posted on 04/03/2005 6:39:58 AM PDT by billorites
I believe it was sometime in 1993 when I first read the great papal encyclical " Splendor of Truth " written by Pope John Paul II. The slender book was recommended by Fr. C.John McClosky during a conversation when he was counseling me about the worst personal crisis of my life.
Alcohol and drug abuse were dragging me down, and it was a problem that got much worse in the next two years before I finally surrendered to God, literally on my knees, and began a new life of faith-- and sobriety.
I managed to read "Splendor of Truth" that year. It had no direct advice about alcohol and drugs. But, then again, as I came to realize later, it had everything to with it.For the book is about the need for spiritual and moral courage in choosing good over evil in our daily lives. About assuming personal accountablity and responsibility for our actions and behaviors. Abiding by our conscience so we may hear the voice of God and follow His directions.
As a full-fledged member of a 12-step fellowship, I later learned that the biggest problem facing all those who suffer from chronic addictions is "sickness of the soul." Exactly what the Pope talks about in "Splendor of Truth." John Paul II tells us to "be not afraid" in pursuing the life of faith. Be not afraid to trust God. Be not afraid to stand for the right values. Be not afraid to be faithful to your spouse, or helpful and unselfish to friends, or diligent in work and other duties in everyday life.
On a much grander scale the Pope tells us to pursue right values concerning the sanctity of human life, human rights, freedom,and democracy. He preaches a moral theology that applies to everything. Be not afraid in this pursuit of God's will and the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is a life that requires courage, but it is precisely this moral courage that gives our lives meaning and purpose.
John Paul II lived and applied his own teachings. He had a toughness of character in pursuit of his beliefs. His ability to dodge the Nazis, and then the Communists when he grew up in Poland is the stuff of legend.Then his rapid rise through the Church hierarchy. Then his first visit to Poland as Pope, which was surely a turning point in the Polish liberation from the evils of Soviet totalitarianism.And his working with Pres. Reagan to bring down the Iron Curtain and send the Soviet to the dustbin of history.
His recovery from the bullet of a would-be assasin is still another example of his toughness. So was the visit to Rome's Jewish synogogue, his subsequent denouncement of the Holocaust and his establishing Vatican ties with Israel. John Paul II had physical and mental toughness; he was not merely an inward-looking intellectual. But he was also unrelenting in his moral toughness. His belief structure was unyielding.
And he loved to take his show on the road to spread his gospel. Fr. George Rutler believes that " The Pope has spoken to more people than anyone in human history." It may well be so. Fr. Rutler also thinks John Paul II was the first pope in modern history to perform weddings. That may also be true according to Catholic scholar Pia de Solenni, who attributes it to the Pope's reverence for the holy sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman as the sacred building block of family and society.
It may also reflect the Pope's love of young people, among whom he had a phenomenal following. Hundreds of thousands would attend his special youth masses, much to the amazement of many in the media who never understand the Pope's appeal. Or his message. John Paul II preached that the values of fidelity and responsibility enhanced, not detracted, from an exciting and fulfilling life. " He awakened a thirst for faith among the young," says Bishop William Lori of the Bridgeport, Connecticut diocese.
Indeed, for young and old, reaching across all religious lines, John Paul was the most evangelical pope in recent memory. He was tireless in spreading his message of traditional religious faith and values to anyone who might listen, be they believer or nonbeliever, Catholic, Muslim or Jew. Surely this will be one of his most enduring legacies: You did not have to be Catholic to appreciate or be grateful for the service John Paul II rendered to all mankind.
In late 1997, I completed my instruction and was received into the Catholic Church as a convert. Actually, my instruction is still unfinished, for I have so much more to learn and read. It is a life's endeavor.
But as the journey unfolds, my life keeps getting better and better. Materially, there are always ups and downs. But it is the spiritual life of faith that sustains me each day. I have learned to be not afraid to follow this new path, for I believe that is what God wants me to do. He sent Pope John Paul II to all of us to preach this timeless message of the ages. For that we will be eternally grateful.
Lawrence Kudlow is a former Reagan economic advisor, a syndicated columnist, and the co-host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company.
I love that picture of the Holy Father with the dove. May he rest in peace. What a great man.
The Frontline is frustrating because most of the assembled "luminaries" are with John Paul on the liberation of eastern europe, but they try to suggest that he "missed the mark" on liberation theology. The Washington Post's Roberto Suro is the smarmiest of the critics. It's the 100 year-old lie that Marxism is just a philosophy, and that Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot were just misusers of it. Evidently the Pope wanted to work to solve the problems of poverty in Latin America within the pro-western governments rather than abetting the spread of communism to solve those problems. Frontline paints him as insensitive and inflexible. It's a shame, since the Pope knew full well that the ideology responsible for 100 million deaths in the 20th century would fare no better in Latin America.
This is such a nice article about a personal conversion, and our Holy Father's role in it. (I'm a convert to Catholicism too). It reminds me that I want to read more of what Pope John Paul wrote about Faith, life. He will be missed.
Be Not Afraid!
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Excellent. Most excellent.
Did you catch Chrissy Matthew's weird show yesterday on MSNBC? Admittedly, he was just off an all day flight to Italy, with no sleep. He was halfway between crying and disbelief on the Pope's passing, but then recovered to confront a guest priest about why the American Catholic church needed married priests, birth control, gays, etc. Then he started talking about cafeteria-style Catholicism, etc.
The priest effectively shut him down point-by-point because Chrissy felt he couldn't talk over him, like his usual guests.
That man is truly conflicted.
He's a therapist's dream.
When I was a kid, a friend's mother once told me that Catholics were sinful because they worship a human woman. The prejudices run REALLY deep some times.
What an inspiration.
Still, he's trying to make good.
Thanks for this article.
Haven't seen much TV, no.
Thanks for the ping!
bttt
We need some pictures of him when he was young and healthy.
I have had a white candle burning before a crucifix since hearing the news of his Holiness' distress - and I will burn one until he is buried. I wish I could have met him, or could have even been in his presence - if I had been fortunate enough to have had him lay his hand on me I would have cried like a baby. What a great loss for the Church - I only hope that his successor is half the man he was.
What is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen.
Commiato il mio papa.
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