Pastoral Page

Pope John Paul II has passed away. The Star Bulletin of last Sunday carried this headline: "Into God's Embrace." However, the privilege of entering into God's embrace is not reserved only for the Pope. The Bible assures us that Christ Jesus welcomes all who believe in Him to come home at the end of their earthly pilgrimages: "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you…when everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." (John 14:1-3, NLT). When Stephen was on the point of death, he saw Jesus standing in heaven to welcome him home (Acts 7:55). Even the repentant criminal on the cross was assured of Jesus' welcome in heaven, for Jesus said to him, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) God's welcome in heaven is reserved for all who trust in Jesus Christ as "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6).

However, Pope John Paul II is different from the rest of us in leaving a distinguished legacy behind. As the leader of more than 1 billion Roman Catholic Christians in the world, he made the best of one of the longest, most influential papal terms in history. He positively impacted our society in an unsurpassed way. He was a self-styled missionary on the move. He made 104 overseas trips and visited 120 countries during his 26+ years as Pontiff. He made another 130 visits inside Italy. He touched the lives of 4 million in the Philippines and more than a million in his native Poland. Yet he did not hesitate to visit the tiny island of Guam or even celebrated mass with 100 people in a tiny Catholic outpost in Norway.

The reason for Pope John Paul II's dedication may be found in his message, delivered in 1994: "Authentic love is not a vague sentiment or a blind passion. It is an inner attitude that involves the whole human being. It is looking at others, not to use them but to serve them. It is the ability to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to suffer with those who are suffering. It is sharing what one possesses so that no one may continue to be deprived of what he needs. Love, in a word, is the gift of self."

The Pope himself set an example and his life challenges all of us to leave a legacy wherever we are planted: "Each Christian's word and life must make this proclamation resound: "God loves you, Christ came for you, Christ is for you ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life!'" (Christifideles Laici, 1988).

Some day we will all leave this scene and go into God's embrace. Have you been living in a Christ-like way so as to leave a meaningful legacy behind?

So help us God.

Love in Christ Jesus,

Pastor Ling