Blessed John Paul II...A little drop in the ocean

Six years ago, millions of people gathered at the St. Peters basilica for the burial of Pope, John Paul II. Today, about 90 heads of state including Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean president and other dignitaries attended his beatification. I was surprised that Robert Mugabe is a Roman Catholic.

Today is a memorable day in the catholic world-Pope, John Paul II’s, official beatified. Here is a little story that illustrates what a little drop of water can do to increase the level of the ocean.

A man died, was buried and went to the judgment seat of God. As he took his place in the queue, he took no comfort from the judgments he heard being handed out. To one person the Lord said. ‘Enter… because I was hungry and you game me food; to another ‘come… I was a stranger, and you took me in; to a third, ‘I was sick and you visited me.’  More and more people came and the lord gave them rewards for the kind works they have done while on earth.

The dead man became dejected because he couldn’t see clearly any kind work he had done while on earth.

Then came the dead man’s turn and the lord looked at him kindly and said; ‘like you, I was once dejected and downcast and you told me funny stories; I was depressed and you made me laugh… come on in you are blessed.

There are issues of much debate concerning the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Some have criticized John Paul II's handling of the Church's child sex abuse scandal as poor. According to the Vatican, he could not have been expected to do something about events he knew nothing of. 

Pope John Paul II will be remembered as one of the great Popes of modern times says a BBC correspondent in Rome. Like our friend in the story, he was not the most perfect of them all; however, he left a mark telling us that we too are capable as mother Theresa of Calcutta said of becoming “a little drop in the ocean”.

SOME QUOTES FROM FROM Blessed John Paul II

"Death has its limits. Christ has opened up a great hope: the hope of life beyond the sphere of death." (John Paul II)


"Have humble and courageous awareness of what the Father has given you. Let this awareness be your strength, your light, your hope."


"Mary,Mother of beautiful love, pray for us! Teach us to love God and our brethren, as you have love them. Cause our love for others to be patient, benign, respectful." Totus Tuus Ego Sum


"What really matters in life is that we are loved by Christ and that we love Him in return. In comparison with the love of Jesus, everything else is secondary. And, without the love of Jesus, everything else is useless." (Blessed John Paul II)


"Be Not Afraid! Open up, no;... swing wide the gates to Christ. Open up to his saving power the confines of the State, open up economic and political systems, the vast empires of culture, civilization and development…. Be not afraid!"

Please pray and intercede in Heaven for all the members of AFRICAN CATHOLICS and for Africa.

Blessed John Paul II…Pray for us.

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John Paul II beatified in Vatican ceremony

Pope, John Paul II, has been officially beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful.
 

Among those at St Peter's Square is French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's Disease.

Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood.
It comes amid criticism of the Church for the speed of the beatification and the clerical child sex abuse scandal.

Much of the abuse occurred while John Paul II was Pope, from 1979-2005, and the Church has been criticised for not doing enough to punish those found responsible.

Police in Rome estimated that one million people had come to the city for the event, including large numbers of pilgrims from the late Pope's native Poland.

St Peter's Square, in the Vatican, was packed, with the faithful waving banners and flags as Pope Benedict XVI declared his predecessor blessed, or beatified.

Rome has not seen crowds of this size since the death of Pope John Paul II six years ago when some three million pilgrims converged on the Italian capital, says the BBC's Vatican correspondent David Willey.
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe was among those attending the beatification.

A Roman Catholic, he was given special permission by the EU to fly to Italy despite being the subject of a travel ban.

The presidents of Poland and Mexico are also among some 90 heads of state and other dignitaries attending the beatification.

Giant screen
St Peter's Square was transformed for the occasion with a giant video screen showing Pope John Paul II's life story and a massive photograph hung from the white colonnades.

The late pontiff's coffin was exhumed from the crypt below St Peter's Basilica to be placed in front of the altar.

After the Mass, it will be moved to a different part of the basilica.
Some have questioned the Church's speed in beatifying the late Pope, just six years after his death.
Others have criticised John Paul II's handling of the Church's child sex abuse scandal.

"This sprint to sainthood is to deflect examinations into JPII's unedifying record on clerical child abuse - and, with it, Benedict's own role," said Keith Porteous Wood of Britain's National Secular Society.

Although John Paul II will be remembered as one of the great Popes of modern times, says our Vatican correspondent, the sex abuse scandal is the unspoken footnote of history.

The Vatican says he could not have been expected to do something about events he knew nothing of, but it is unlikely he was completely unaware of the growing scandal, our correspondent says.

to view the complete article visit www.bbcBBC UK

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