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Kathleen
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| Posted: April 02 2005 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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Maybe I am strange, but I do not feel the overwhelming grief and sadness that many of you have expressed at the imminent death of Pope John Paul II. I feel happy for him that he is so soon to go home to God. He is sick and weak; his body has been worn out in the service of Christ and of His Church. He is ready to step into eternal life with Jesus, Mary and his beloved family members who await him in heaven.
Maybe this is because I am older than many of you (47 next month) and remember waaayyy back to when John XXIII died. I remember watching the ceremonies on TV with my parents, and my dad explaining about the conclave in the Sistine Chapel, and the smoke from the ballots. It made quite an impression on me.
When John Paul II became Pope I was a self-centered college student who had fallen away from the church. Over the years as I have repented, came back to the sacraments, married and began raising my boys I came to know and love the Pope through his writings and his deep love for all of us. He is truly an example of what a Christian and a Catholic should be: Christlike in his unselfishness and service to others.
My ten-year-old and I are following the events with interest. I look at this time as a golden opportunity to teach him about the wonderful continuity of our church. All of those popes, going back to Peter. My son is very interested in "what will happen next".
I pray that this will be a time of prayer for all of us and of revitalization for our church. I cannot be afraid, for Jesus has said that He is with us always. Surely the Holy Spirit is watching over us now.
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Kathleen in NY
mom to Declan 10 and Thomas 2
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 02 2005 at 3:20pm | IP Logged
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I know what you mean, Kathleen.
We just spent an hour at church. As we walked in, the bells were tolling and the wind was blowing a strong, but not heavy, rain on us. It was not chilling, but refreshing, but chills went right up my spine.
Then I realized it is the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday...this Pope came in on the Feast of St. Hedwig (our parish) and leaves with St. Faustina. Double chills.
Sad, yet somehow joyful...we are watching The Shoes of the Fisherman tonight.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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TracyQ
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| Posted: April 02 2005 at 3:57pm | IP Logged
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I think it's extremely bittersweet, at least for me. Full of joy for our Holy Father, that he no longer suffers, and now has the true joy he so deserves. Full of hope, knowing one day we will join him in the glory of our Lord, where we'll never have sadness nor suffering again, but also full of sadness for now.....missing our Holy Papa, because we truly love him so much!
Everyone grieves and mourns in their own way. There are so many emotions..not only sad ones, but feelings of joy and hope as well. There's no right way to remember the ones we love so much.
My eyes hurt I've been crying so much today. I feel like I just lost the only earthly father I had. But I know our church is filled with hope, and soon, she will give me another. 
I am praying for all of you, and all who are sad today, and will be in the days to come, as we all together remember and miss the Holy Father we all love so very much. With joy, we thank our Lord for the gift that he was to us, and thank our Lord that he now has the gift of no more suffering, and the gift of peace. With hope, we pray for our new Holy Father to come. We will always remember with love the Holy Father we shall all never forget.
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Cindy
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| Posted: April 02 2005 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
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Kathleen-
I could relate to your thoughts.
As I watched the throngs of the faithful on TV today and heard about how our Holy Father has impacted so many people personally, I thought to myself how I had always thought of him as 'my' pope. Converting 7 years ago and coming to love the Church he was a teacher for me and reached out to me and my needs- a modern person of America in the 20th and 21st century. I guess he must have done this with countless others, too.
The overwhelming feeling I have today is gratitude that I lived in the same time he did and that he was given to us and the world. I will miss him and feel alone in a way. But can't forget his words of "Couragio!" and "Be not afraid." And, I can't help but think of his reunion with God today- oh how glorious!- and that he took the world there with him, as close as we could get, through his last hours.
He knew we were with him as he passed on to the next world.
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Cindy in Texas
It Is About The Journey
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tovlo4801
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I'm sobbing in a way I haven't since I found out my daughter would die. I knew my daughter would be going to heaven without sin and I know that JP II will be in heaven with God, but my sorrow comes from losing a gift not fully appreciated. I converted to Catholism in '98. I don't know anything else but a Catholic Church with Pope John Paul II leading. I feel sadness and a little bit of fear at the unknown ahead. I feel so secure in this beautiful, strong, solid church that has adopted me, yet will everything still seem so clear with someone new leading it? I know God will provide, but the unknown for this convert is scary. Then I hear "Be not afraid" echo in my head. Our little adoration chapel has pictures of Our Holy Father in the hallway leading into the chapel. Each time I go to adoration I see him leaning over and smiling and grinning and I swear I feel like his eyes in the pictures are looking right at me and praying for me as I head in to spend time with our Lord. Sometimes I sense sadness in his eyes and sometimes I sense joy. I know it's just my own conscience reflecting against this image of the pope, but in this silly way he's been my spiritual companion. I take comfort in the recognition that he will be even closer spiritually now than he ever was in picture form before. I believe we now have a wonderful advocate in God's presence and that gives me a bittersweet peace. Yet I still find myself sobbing at the loss of his living presence. I don't fully even understand it. I'm not sure how you can love someone so much that you've never even met, but I think he so much reflected God's love for each of us that we love him for bringing God closer to us.
God Bless,
Richelle
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julia s.
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| Posted: April 03 2005 at 5:20pm | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
I know what you mean, Kathleen.
We just spent an hour at church. As we walked in, the bells were tolling and the wind was blowing a strong, but not heavy, rain on us. It was not chilling, but refreshing, but chills went right up my spine.
Then I realized it is the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday...this Pope came in on the Feast of St. Hedwig (our parish) and leaves with St. Faustina. Double chills.
Sad, yet somehow joyful...we are watching The Shoes of the Fisherman tonight. |
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MacBeth -- I'm not entirely sure of the different feasts and saints could you explain what makes these significant. Thanks.
__________________
julia
married to love of her life
with ds12 ds8 ds3 and ds1
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MacBeth
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| Posted: April 03 2005 at 7:29pm | IP Logged
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julia s. wrote:
MacBeth -- I'm not entirely sure of the different feasts and saints could you explain what makes these significant. Thanks.
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St. Hedwig (Jadwiga) was a queen of Poland. Sr. Faustina, the Divine Mercy Visionary, was also Polish, and Canonized by JPII (I keep hearing "The Great" after his name!!) in April of 2000, and the Feast of Mercy was decreed shortly after, in May of 2000.
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
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julia s.
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| Posted: April 03 2005 at 9:12pm | IP Logged
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Oh...now it makes sense. Thanks. I'm a little slow, but catching on steadily.
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julia
married to love of her life
with ds12 ds8 ds3 and ds1
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 04 2005 at 6:36am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
julia s. wrote:
MacBeth -- I'm not entirely sure of the different feasts and saints could you explain what makes these significant. Thanks.
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St. Hedwig (Jadwiga) was a queen of Poland. Sr. Faustina, the Divine Mercy Visionary, was also Polish, and Canonized by JPII (I keep hearing "The Great" after his name!!) in April of 2000, and the Feast of Mercy was decreed shortly after, in May of 2000.
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Ladies:
Not only is St. Faustina Polish (from Krakow, no less -- just a skip from Wadowice where JP2 was born) but as a young man, JP2 wuld walk past her convent, often stopping for Mass, on his way to class or work everyday. He had a great love for St. Faustina and a special devotion to the Divine Mercy ... a better time for him to die would have been hard to find!
Blessings to you all -- may the Holy Spirit permeate and conclave over the next weeks.
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 04 2005 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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MacBeth wrote:
julia s. wrote:
MacBeth -- I'm not entirely sure of the different feasts and saints could you explain what makes these significant. Thanks.
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St. Hedwig (Jadwiga) was a queen of Poland. Sr. Faustina, the Divine Mercy Visionary, was also Polish, and Canonized by JPII (I keep hearing "The Great" after his name!!) in April of 2000, and the Feast of Mercy was decreed shortly after, in May of 2000.
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Ladies:
Not only was St. Faustina Polish, she lived in a convent in Krakow that JP2 passed every day as a young man going to work and classes. She had already died (he was 17 when she died) but she was still talked about and very loved. He often stopped in for Mass at the convent. When he was Archbishop of Krakow, her convent was close to his offices.
So having him realeased from "this earthly pale" during the vigil Mass for Divine Mercy is amazing -- a better day would be hard to find.
May the Holy Spirit permeate the Conclave over the next few weeks!
Blessings all,
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: a different view
