Quotes from Pope John Paul II

[UrbScotty]

"Let yourself be charmed by Christ, the Infinite who appeared among you in visible and imitable form. … Fall in love with Jesus Christ, to live his very life, so that our world may have life in the light of the gospel."

"Do not be afraid of presenting Christ to someone who does not yet know him. Christ is the true answer to all the questions which concern the human person and his destiny. Without Christ, the human person remains an unsolvable riddle. Therefore, have the courage to present Christ!"

"Wherever people are praying in the world, there the Holy Spirit is, the living breath of prayer. … Prayer is also the revelation of that abyss which is the heart of man: a depth which comes from God and which only God can fill, precisely with the Holy Spirit."

"The Church needs resolute, consistent, and faithful witnesses who, in the face of widespread doubts and disbelief on many levels in society today, will show in word and deed their commitment to the ever living Christ."

"The unity of all divided humanity is the will of God. For this reason he sent His Son, so that by dying and rising for us he might bestow on us the Spirit of love. … Division openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and inflicts damage on the most holy cause of proclaiming the Good News to every creature."

"Man’s life comes from God; it is his gift, his image and imprint, a sharing in His breath of life. God therefore is the sole Lord of this Life: Man cannot do with it as he wills."

"Prayer increases the strength and spiritual unity of the family, helping the family to partake of God’s own strength. … Prayer needs to become a regular habit in the daily life of each family."

"You young cherish great hopes in your hearts, learn to live with one another in peace, without building barriers which stop you from sharing the treasures of other cultures and traditions. Respond to violence with works of peace, in order to build a world which is reconciled and fully human."

"Life is a gift from the Creator, to be spent wisely in the service of one’s brothers and sisters who, in the plan of salvation, can always benefit from it. … It is to be accepted, respected and promoted with every means available, and defended from every threat."

"The intense joy of forgiveness, offered and received, heals seemingly incurable wounds, restores relationships and firmly roots them in God’s inexhaustible love. … To every person of goodwill, eager to work tirelessly in the building of a new civilization of love, I say once more: Offer forgiveness and receive peace!"

"The family, the great workshop of love, is the first school, indeed, a lasting school where people are not taught to love with barren ideas, but with the incisive power of experience. May every family truly rediscover its own vocation to love!"

"Confession is an act of honesty of courage: an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God. It is an act of the prodigal son who returns to his father and is welcomed by him with the kiss of peace."

"The new evangelization… will depend in a decisive way on the lay faithful being fully aware of their baptismal vocation and their responsibility for bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to their culture and society."

"Freedom is not the ability to do anything we want, whenever we want. Rather, freedom is the ability to live responsibly the truth of our relationship with God and with one another."

"Today we are living in an age of instant communications. But do you realize what a unique form of communication prayer is? Prayer enables us to meet God at the most profound level of our being. It connects us directly to God, the living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in a constant exchange of love."

"In every child which is born and in every person who lives or dies we see the image of God’s glory. We celebrate this glory in every human being, a sign of the living God, an icon of Jesus Christ."

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Great words from a great man. I have some

quotes from him to share but will start a separate thread since they deal with liberation theology and will surprise many. I read it a few months ago and had intended to share it sooner, but perhaps this is the best time.

I remember the old lady in Ireland who, after JFK was killed, said "Johnny, we hardly knew ye."

My heart tells me "Giovanni (Paulo Secundo), we hardly knew ye."

The sense of loss I have is far greater than I expected. Many are saying they want "a better pope." I felt that way at first but more and more I feel I want "a pope as good as he was." Not that another pope can't be better, but that it won't be easy to be as good as John Paul II was.