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A Reflection on The Priest, John Paul II
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Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, Washington, DC
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The world mourns the death of Pope John Paul II. So much is saidand written of him. Some claim a major role for him in the fall of the communist regime. Others look to his skill in engaging world leaders and the political process. Many point to his solid commitment to orthodoxy as a great corrective for a Church some considered in disarray following the Second Vatican Council. And all point to the holiness and mysticism of his spiritual life, his closeness to Christ.
John Paul II never forgot what it was to be a priest, whether he was Bishop, Cardinal or even Pope.
The first realization for a priest is that he is fully human. He understands that it is only when engaged in healthy and close human relationships that he comes to a sense of self. Recognizing the limitation and weakness of the human condition which he shares with his brothers and sisters, the priest knows he must always be in loving relationships with those whom he serves in order to live his life fully. It is in the interchange of relationship that the priest knows his strength.
Pope John Paul knew this. The miracle of his papacy is the way in which he bonded with his human brothers and sisters, with those who are poor, forgotten, marginalized, and with those who are world leaders and persons of wealth and power. The images of this pope walking to the hut of a poor Mexican campesino, delighting in the performance of a handicapped young man who could only play his guitar with his feet, telling the crowds ––including even presidents––not to be afraid. These images flesh out the ability of this man to draw others to himself while he himself is drawn into their reality. Human compassion rooted in his ability to relate with others and to share their worlds with them is one of John Paul's priestly virtues.
 A priest is a disciple of Jesus. Always growing in understanding of the Master, always growing more intimate with the Teacher, following His way without deviation and with commitment, the priest disciple comes to a deep personal friendship and communion with Jesus.
Pope John Paul lived a transparent life. By this I mean that there was no guessing about his love for Christ. His holiness set him apart. He followed the way of Jesus. He proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus. He loved as Jesus loved. At Mass in his private Chapel or in a stadium filled with thousands of people, the Holy Father's holiness was almost tangible. Leading the Good Friday Stations of the Cross or kneeling in prayer for the victims of the Holocaust, John Paul II radiated his love for Christ, his discipleship.
Finally, a priest is an apostle, one sent by the Spirit on a Mission to be a Life-giver. A priest's vocation is a gift that both calls and sends. He is sent to proclaim a message of life to the world and he is willing to give his life so that others might live.
 John Paul II was most definitely an apostle. He understood himself as one who was sent. The energy and force of his commitment had its source in this conviction. His proclamation was a consistent proclamation of life: of the dignity and value of the human person, of the justice and freedom so necessary for the experience of a meaningful life, of the love that is foundational of human community. As the story of his personal life shows us, he was willing to die with Christ through his own physical suffering. As the witness of his last days demonstrates, he gave himself, "totus tuus"––for the love of God and the lives of God's People.
Pope John Paul II, a great human being, a committed disciple, an apostle sent to bring Life to the world! This priest summarized all in the celebration of the Eucharist. There human beings gather, to be formed into Church, the community of disciples of Jesus. There they hear the mandate and become what they hear. There they eat and become what they receive. From there they are sent, as John Paul II was sent, to lay down their lives so that others might live.
Thanks be to God for the gift of the priesthood of John Paul II.
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