Feast of Saint Pope John Paul II - October 22

Karol Wojtyla was born in 1920, in Poland. He loved to ski, hike, swim, and play soccer. He was an actor and he could speak 11 languages!

In 1939, the German army invaded Poland and tyrannically ruled that country for the next few years. After World War II, the Communists took over. Meanwhile, Karol studied secretly to become a priest, and he was soon ordained a bishop at the age of 38. He was elected as the first Polish pope ever, Pope John Paul II, in 1978. His first words were, “Be not afraid!”

Pope John Paul had a very deep love for the Mother of Jesus, and his motto was: “Totus Tuus,” which means, “I am all yours, Jesus and Mary!”

Pope John Paul II traveled to more countries and spoke to more people than any other pope in history. He helped to defeat Communism and worked very hard to promote a culture of life. After suffering for some years from a debilitating case of Parkinson’s disease, Pope John Paul II died on April 2nd, 2005—the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Francis canonized him along with Pope John XXIII on Divine Mercy Sunday, 2014.

A Final Prayer:

“Abide in Me, and I in you… for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

I leave you now with this prayer: that the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself to each one of you, that He will give you the strength to go out and profess that you are Christian, that He will show you that He alone can fill your hearts.

Accept His freedom and embrace His truth, and be messengers of the certainty that you have been truly liberated through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

This will be the new experience, the powerful experience, that will generate, through you, a more just society and a better world. God bless you and may the joy of Jesus be always with you!

~Pope John Paul II

Feast of the Guardian Angels!

The Holy Guardian Angels

 

 

 

The whole Church, and all her members, benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of the angels. From the beginning, we are surrounded by their ever-watchful care and prayer. As believers, we each have an angel to protect and shepherd us. At the moment of our birth, each of us is given a Guardian Angel to accompany us through life. In this way we already share here on earth in the blessed company of the angels.

 

Jesus once said: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10).

 

When King Herod threw Peter into prison, his fellow believers prayed for his safety. God heard their prayers, and He sent an angel to the prison. The angel removed Peter’s chains. At first Peter thought it was all a dream, but when the angel led him past the guards, outside the prison, and into freedom, he realized that God had sent an angel to deliver him.

 

Our Guardian Angels are always there to help us — they are our partners on the path to heaven. Let us call on our Guardian Angels to protect us and help us to follow Jesus and to live good lives.