St. John Paul II

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St. John Paul II was a saint who was also pope. Sometimes called “Pope John Paul the Great,” John Paul II lived and served in a way that had great influence on the Church and the world.

St. John Paul II was born in Poland in 1920 into a loving family, but, sadly, his mother died when he was only eight. As a young person, he loved acting and appeared in numerous stage productions. He was also fascinated by different languages, and he learned as many as 15 languages of them, a skill he would later use as pope. He also had many friends and acquaintances who were Jewish, and this shaped his love and respect for the Jewish people for the rest of his life.

As a young man, John Paul II faced serious challenges. He lived in Poland during a time when it had been invaded by the Nazi regime from Germany, and that meant he was unable to pursue his education, but had to work. He suffered serious injuries in two different accidents, and by the time he was 20, his father and his brother, to whom he was close, had also died.

John Paul II’s faith had always been important to him, and after his father’s death, he began to pursue ordination as a priest. He was a devoted pastor, often taking young people for outings to go climbing or kayaking. He also loved to read and study, and he pursued advanced degrees in theology.

In 1978, John Paul II became pope, and he served the Church in that way for 27 years. As pope, he was open and loving, traveling to many places and eager to meet the people he shepherded. He offered important teachings on love and marriage that influenced many people. Great crowds of people would come to meet him, and he inspired many young people to consider priesthood or the religious life. He had an important influence on political events of his day, inspiring people to resist Communist governments that prohibited them from practicing their faith. 

In the later years of his life, John Paul II suffered from Parkinson’s disease, but he continued to serve as pope. He believed that his visible weakness could also serve as a reminder we should not be ashamed of our weakness because God can work through it. His remarkable life can remind all of us what God can do when we seek to serve Him. 

Prayer for your Table

Heavenly Father,
You gave to the whole Church the gift of John Paul II,
who, thought he faced many challenges,
chose to serve you with energy and love.
Thank you for his joy.
Thank you for the teachings on marriage he left us.
Thank you for all You did through him.
We ask that you show us the way in which You are leading us,
even when we face difficulties and hardships.
Help us to know what it would mean for us,
like Pope St. John Paul the Great,
to use all our gifts for you.
in the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
St. John Paul II, pray for us.

You may also want to pray the ancient prayer that John Paul II himself prayed.

His father taught it to him when we was a boy, and he kept it on a handwritten note, reciting it every day for over 40 years, including throughout his entire papacy:

Come, O Creator Spirit, 
(include the whole prayer)

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator come,
From your bright heavenly throne!
Come, take possession of our souls,
And make them all your own.
You who are called the Paraclete,
Best gift of God above,
The living spring, the living fire,
Sweet unction, and true love!
You who are sevenfold in your grace,
Finger of God’s right hand,
His promise, teaching little onesTo speak and understand!
O guide our minds with your blessed light,
With love our hearts inflame,
And with your strength which never decays
Confirm our mortal frame.
Far from us drive our hellish foe
True peace unto us bring,
And through all perils guide us safe
Beneath your sacred wing.
Through you may we the Father know,
Through you the eternal Son
And you the Spirit of them both
Thrice-blessed three in one.
All glory to the Father be,
And to the risen Son;
The same to you, O Paraclete,
While endless ages run. Amen.