Posted on 04/07/2005 8:55:52 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper
The following is an English translation of the official Vatican Italian translation of the text of Pope John Paul II's last will and testament, which was originally written in Polish with successive additions. Dates have been written according to European convention, which makes "6.3.1979" represent March 6, 1979.
The document begins with a Latin phrase that reads, "I am completely in Your hands," and follows with a citation from the New Testament.
The testament of 6.3.1979
Totus Tuus ego sum
In the Name of the Holiest Trinity. Amen.
"Keep watch, because you do not know which day when the Lord will come" - These words remind me of the final call, which will come the moment that the Lord will choose. I desire to follow Him and desire that all that is part of my earthly life shall prepare me for this moment. I do not know when it will come, but, like all else, this moment too I place into the hands of the Mother of My Master: Totus Tuus. In the same maternal hands I place All those with whom my life and vocation are bound. Into these Hands I leave above all the Church, and also my Nation and all humanity. I thank everyone. To everyone I ask forgiveness. I also ask prayers, so that the Mercy of God will loom greater than my weakness and unworthiness.
During spiritual exercises I reflected upon the testament of the Holy Father Paul VI. This study has led me to write the present testament.
I do not leave behind me any property which necessitates disposal. Regarding those items of daily use of which I made use, I ask that they be distributed as may appear opportune. My personal notes are to be burned. I ask that Don Stanislaw oversees this and thank him for the collaboration and help so prolonged over the years and so comprehensive. All other thanks, instead, I leave in my heart before God Himself, because it is difficult to express them.
Regarding the funeral, I repeat the same disposition given by the Holy Father Paul VI: Burial in the bare earth, not in a tomb, 13.3.92.
Apud Dominum misericordia et copiosa apud Eum redemptio
John Paul pp.II
Rome 6.3.1979
Following my death I ask for Holy Masses and prayers
5.3.1990
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I express the deepest faith that, despite all my weakness, the Lord will accord me every necessary grace to face, according to His will, whatever task, trial and suffering that will be demanded of His servant, during the course of my life. I also have faith that never will it be permitted that, through my behavior: by words, actions or omissions, I betray my obligations in this holy seat of Peter.
---
24.II-1.III.1980
Also during these spiritual exercises I have reflected upon the truth of the Priesthood of Christ in the perspective of that Crossing which is for each one of us the moment of death. In taking leave of this world - to be born into the other, the future world, eloquent sign is for us the Resurrection of Christ.
I therefore read the copy of my testament of the last year, it also made during spiritual exercises - I compared it with the testament of my great Predecessor and Father Paul VI, with that sublime witness to the death of a Christian and of a pope - and I renewed in myself consciousness of the questions, to which refers the copy of 6.III.1979, prepared by me (in a rather provisional way).
Today I desire to add to it only this, that each one of us must keep in mind the prospect of death. And must be ready to present himself before the Lord and Judge - and contemporaneously Redeemer and Father. Then I too can take this into consideration continuously, entrusting that decisive moment to the Mother of Christ and of the Church - to the Mother of my hope.
The times in which we live are indescribably difficult and troubled. Difficult and tense has become the life of the Church as well, characteristic trial of these times - as much for the Faithful, as much as for the Pastors. In some Countries (as, e.g. in that one about which I was reading during the spiritual exercises), the Church finds itself in a period of persecution that is not inferior to those of the first centuries; on the contrary, the degree of cruelty and hatred is greater still. Sanguis martyrum - semen christianorum (Eds: Latin for "Blood of the martyrs - seeds of Christians"). And beyond this - so many people disappear innocently, even in this Country, in which we live...
I desire once more to entrust myself totally to the mercy of the Lord. He himself will decide when and how I must finish my earthly life and pastoral ministry. In life and in death Totus Tuus through the Immaculate. Accepting this death already, I hope that Christ will give me grace for my final passage, which is Easter. I hope too that it shall be made useful also for this important cause in which I am trying to serve: the salvation of men, the safeguarding of the human family and of all the nations and the peoples (among these I refer in particular to my earthly Country), useful for the persons who in a special way have entrusted to me for the questions of the Church, for the glory of God himself.
I do not desire to add anything to that which I wrote a year ago - only express this readiness and at the same time this faith, to which the present spiritual exercises prepared me.
are should be all :-)
Are you not aware that whatever is Mary's belong to Jesus? She keeps nothing for herself. To say I present "all to the Mother of my Master" is to say, "Since Jesus took His Flesh from your own, Mary, and I am so unworthy to approach His Majesty, give what I give to you to Him."
See Post 68
O Blessed Mother,
Young you were that day
when God asked so much of you,
and with a heart filled with love,
you said Yes.
O Bkessed Virgin,
You did not worry about
the hows and the whens and the wheres,
what people would say,
what they would think of you,
leaving all that in God's hands,
you merely said Yes.
O Full of Grace,
You who the Lord is with,
Blessed are you among women
for being the new Eve,
not turning your back on the desire of God,
but instead,
always, whenever he called,
no matter the pain or the joy or the sorrow,
you said Yes
Where ya been?
Stick around!
The idea of praying for intercession to saints in heaven fits God's perfect plan of creation.
I went to mass today...and got waylaid by the church secretary...and I am working on taxes...a great penace!
In the Bible, the apostle Paul always used the phrase "in Christ" to designate genuine Christians. He never once used the phrase to designate non-Christians.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB, emphasis added).
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus (Romans 16:3 nasb, emphasis added).
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1, emphasis added).
And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ (Galatians 1:22 nasb, emphasis added).
When these people are designated to be "in Christ," this is an important designation to the apostle Paul. It is so important that he leaves no ambiguity whatever about how a person gets to be "in Christ." He goes to great lengths to show that it is not by sacraments or by works of any kind. It is not by accepting simultaneously two different paths of salvation. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23 nasb).
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy (Titus 3:5).
Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses (Acts 13:38,39).
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB).
So how can Roman Catholics be considered "in Christ" if they continue to deny the only basis for coming to be in Christ—justification by grace through faith alone?
I am very well aware of that.. So what's your point? Knowing scripture when you're in a battle defeats the devil, why do you think Jesus quoted scripture to him? Our battle is not against each other, but against the devil, which is a spiritual battle, against wickness in the heavenlies and high places. That is part of the spiritual armor given to us in Ephesions 6. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit.
While I do agree we should honor Mary and greatly there is a point where we do something not called for in the Bible and create doctrine not there.
I have a question for you. Is Mary not the mother of Christ. Is Christ not our master? You know, maybe 18 years of Catholicism really has blinded me to the truth, but I really thought that it was common agreement that Mary is the mother of Christ. /sarcasm off
GOOD girl!
"Veneration is exactly what worship is--the definition of worship is "extreme devotion or intense love or admiration of any kind."
I am extremely devoted to my wife. My love for her is intense. And I admire her greatly.
You've felt free to criticize what others believe, but you haven't even bothered to provide us with an accurate definition of worship.
That's the best 50 words of less explanation for Mary's sinlessness I have ever read!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with You.
Grace,
the gift of a loving God
who knew you before you were made,
who knew you would become
the woman you were created to be,
filled to overflowing
with the grace he gave you
to touch the lives
of those who call upon you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O highly favored one,
whoever has known the Lord
better than you,
who understand his smiles and frowns,
his laughter, his sighs.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Mother of the Lord,
and mother of his humanness,
he who is both God and Man -
O Ark of the Covenant!
Shaped by Love unfathomable,
Beloved,
She who says yes to God
then, now and forever!
Pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
You are our mother,
who calls us constantly when we stray,
who searches for us as dilligently
as you searched for Jesus when he was lost,
who comforts all our sorrows,
scrapes,
heartbreaks,
misfortunes,
come, dearest Mother,
and when it is time to leave this earthly place,
take our hand,
and lead us as gently to your Son.
Amen.
And because since Pius XII there was only two short periods (one of them six months and the other33 days) when there was a Pope on Earth to beatify martyrs, I don't need a Pope to see THERESA MARIA SCHINDLER as a saint and to pray to her to intercede for a miracle.
Right, it's not worshipping Mary, but honoring her out of respect, instead of trashing her as just some unique individual.
If you will be with the Lord and the Saints when you die you will be in the Communion of Saints, thus experiencing life eternal. You will not be dead, merely no longer mortal. Therefore I could pray that you intercede with the Father for me (and trust me I KNOW I am a sinner), since you would be that much closer to HIM. This is not unlike a character witness in front of a Judge. Since God is humanity's final Judge, you would be a character witness for me in front of HIM. If you'd say this doesn't matter, really think about my analogy and tell me you wouldn't want people you love and respect doing the same for you.
I've always put Jesus first in all of my prayers, maybe because I'm a man, and I understand his ministry better, or maybe that's how the fine Jesuit Priests who instructed me in the faith always taught. I do think in some ways the devotion of Mary comes from the women in the church who can empathize with her role in the bible much better than with Jesus'. Maybe I am wrong, just some speculation.
Cheers,
CSG
Show me where in the Bible the 2nd verse comes from, I would like to see it in context if you please.
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