Oh, do tell.
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
---
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.
Please do not take my question as being hostile, I assure you I have absolutely no intention for it to be so but Mary being sinless isn't something that I've found in scripture. Could you point me to the scripture that indicates she is without sin?
Again, I wish no argument, I'm simply trying to make sure that my Bible education is as complete as possible.
Ditto!
If Mary is not the mother of God either a) She is not Jesus' mother or b) Jesus is not God.
Which do you choose?
In order to be the mother of GOD she would have to pre-exist GOD. That is heresy.
This is specifically not how we use the term. Do you prefer the original Greek Theotokos "God-bearer"?
Answer me this - if Mary was sinless why did she need a saviour?
If I save you from falling into a hole, I am your "savior" just as much as if I had to lift you out of the hole.
SD
Suggest you continue reading this thread.
Asked and answered several times. :)
She is greeted at the Annunciation (when she was told she would bear Jesus) as "Full of Grace."
This is in Luke.
One can not be sinful and at the same time be "full of grace." Therefore, she was sinless before she even became pregnant with Jesus. It would only be fitting that she be sinless from her conception so that she would never know sin and be a spotless vessel.
SD
I could tell from your subsequent posts that you meant JP II no ill.
[ In the medieval period Latin was the common language of Europe. If you were anyone important you'd have known Latin.]
I offer this as Exhibit ONE... yer honah...
The Lord Jesus IS God! Jesus was borne to Mary after his manhood and she is rightly called the Mother of God because Jesus was in the conception and in birth from her, as He is, the "very God".
According to scripture the Lord Jesus Christ and God ARE one in the same:
JOHN:
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
JOHN:
1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
JOHN:
10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Jesus Christ and God are one in the same; Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ therfore Mary is the Mother of God. All of this is according to Scripture.
I'd be glad to see your documentation on that. Now if you want to talk about the Dark Ages or the Early Medieval Period (as it is now called) then I'd have to say you're still wrong, because even though the commoner did not know Latin most people in Europe were pagan so it mattered little to them anyway. In the High Medieval period the middling classes knew some Latin, the higher you were on the social scale the more you knew. Vernacular translation wasn't even possible at this time (especially in the early part of the second millennium) because most people had no identity to a nation or a language. A peasant in France was as likely to be loyal to an Englishman as much to a Frenchman, not that either of those divisions are clear. The Kings of England spoke mainly French until the end of the 14th Century. Trust me your assertions are not that solid. But as always if you have proof otherwise I'd love to see it.
Cheers,
CSG
Cheers,
CSG
Today is the Feast of the Annunciation in the Orthodox Church btw...
Oh, do tell.
Since March 25 was in Holy Week, we celebrated it this past Monday.
SD
Nice writing there KAC. :)
Everyone...
Why are we arguing these things amoung each other as Christians... We should be evangalizing to people in the dark. Catholics and Protestants are brothers in Christ... We should be spending all of our energy outside of our faith.
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