Do Not Be Afraid: Homily from the School's Memorial Mass for the Pope

Homily delivered at school liturgy for Pope John Paul II

For the last week the world has been mesmerized by the life and death of John Paul II including people from every creed, every race, and every country. We have seen tributes from all over the globe. Pilgrims have been flocking to Rome in unprecedented numbers like no other time in history. People have stood in lines for nearly 48-hours just to get a 5-second glimpse of the Pope's body. There were more heads of state present today for an occasion such as this than at any other time in history. The Pope's funeral far surpassed in number those of Churchill, Kennedy, and Reagan. All commentators were saying this was the largest funeral in the history of the world. Clearly he won universal appeal. No doubt he was the most recognized man in the postmodern world.

What was it about Pope John Paul that attracted such a following, such a turnout? While admitting his huge pastoral impact, some theologians argue that he added nothing new doctrinally during his pontificate. He restated and held firmly to what his predecessors did. However, he may have been more controversial as the world outside the Vatican has changed radically.

This man went form a virtual unknown, a long shot to be Pope, to our non-Italian, our Polish Pope, and our beloved Holy Father. In time he became the most admired, certainly most recognized man. And, he began by telling people not to be afraid.

In time we came to know this man of God. Like anyone who dies, stories are told and retold about him.

One of my first memories of the Pope was a picture we viewed upon entering our auditorium. The Pope was dressed in his white robes with his long white coat. He was walking in the garden during one of the first weeks as Pope. He saw his gardener working assiduously in the dirt. The Pope stretched out his hand to shake hands with the gardener who protested and politely refused due to his dirty hands. The Pope took the gardener's right hand, wiped the dirt off on his white coat, and the two greeted one another. I thought this was a man with incredible humility. His life would consist of many such moments where everyone he met was the most important person at that time.

He lived the gospel; he lived Jesus. He knew well the words "let the children come to me." He was at his finest when with the youth of the church. He equally embraced the poor, the disadvantage, the downtrodden, and the ostracized. He knew the dictum about "when I was in prison you visited me."

Another favorite memory regarding the Pope was when I was hearing confessions in a reconciliation room that was anything but inviting. It was dark, dirty, and cold. It was more of a janitor's closet than a place of healing. While thinking about this, I noticed a frame on the wall that cost no more than a few dollars. In it was a picture that led to this time being one of the more significant moments in my life. It was one of the Pope visiting his would be assassin in jail. Suddenly, this room had huge significance. Life is about forgiveness, about love, about acceptance, and not being afraid to do those things.

I was taken with his only visit to Philadelphia. When the Pope lifted the body and blood during a liturgy for religious at the convention center you were blinded by the flash from the cameras more brilliant than the most spectacular fireworks display.

Two images stand out most in my mind and have touched my heart so profoundly and spoke to the core of my being. When the Pope first visited Philadelphia, he immediately went to some church and knelt in prayer. No doubt, you have seen many pictures like this. Whether it was of when he was young and vibrant or older and suffering, what was most clearly evident was that this man was obviously enmeshed in prayer, and steeped in love for his God. One could easily feel the presence of God. The world stopped. You knew what Francis de Sales meant when he said that prayer was a conversation with God, cor ad cor, heart to heart. I would often muse about how profound was this sacramental encounter.

Likewise when watching him celebrate the liturgy in front of millions of people, this same presence of Christ was clearly recognizable. In this timeless event, the world stood still and silent, and we got a glimpse of heaven on earth. How gifted and special were these two images, these two events.

And then it hit me: notwithstanding the grace of state of the Pope, nor his genuine spirituality, there is really no difference between the Pope and us in these instances.

We are born in the exact same image and likeness. The same God is likewise present to us through prayer - instant access, any time, anywhere. We have the same gift. Cor ad cor. The same Eucharist.

At 4:00 this morning, millions witnessed in person or on televisions throughout the globe the same reality taking place at this very moment, here and now, in this sacred place, with this Salesian faith community.

The Pope himself said, "In the humble signs of bread and wine, changed into his body and blood, Christ walks beside us as our strength and our food for the journey, and he enables us to become for everyone witnesses of hope." We cannot be afraid.

The words uttered during his first public address, Do not be afraid, became his motto, his mantra during his 26-years of service.

They enabled him to give example to a consistent fabric or ethic of life. They allowed him to challenge governments regarding human rights, the dignity of the person, and the equity of goods whether these were Communist, Marxist, or Capitalistic societies.

Be not afraid allowed him to speak against injustice, to speak the truth to those who wanted to relativize all things, and to speak for those without a voice - the ostracized, the suffering, and the unborn. And, perhaps he spoke most profoundly about the dignity of the human person when he himself had little or no voice allowing us to see the dignity of suffering and participating in the cross of Christ.

We gather today so that we may heed his call to not be afraid

• Of our call to holiness
• Of God leading us to perfection
• Of our being made in the image and likeness of God
• Of our being the body and blood of Christ
• Of our being Christ for each other

Do not be afraid

• Of the presence of God within your lives
• Of the power of this presence

Here is the crux of the issue.

Too often fear has crept into our lives leading us to despair. We have become accustomed to living with hurt and pain, our growing edges and sinfulness, beset with issues that we have allowed to imprison us, hold us captive - our pains, our addictions to alcohol, to drugs, to sex, to gossip, to making disparaging remarks about another, to not liking ourselves, to jealousy or hatred of another, to doing what it is we don't want to do.

Pope challenges us to not be afraid of the presence and power of Christ in our lives - this perfect love casts out all fear - all we have to do is let it come into our lives, to give ourselves totally to God.

Do not be afraid

• To be holy
• To be saints
• To be the good Samaritan
• To be the repentant
• To be the forgiving father
• To be the ambassadors for Christ

The Pope still addresses you as he did at a youth rally years ago:

"You are the future and the hope of the church. The church of the future will be better if you are better; the church will be an evangelizing church for the poor, if from this moment on you share your life with Christ, poor, obedient, and chaste; the church will be a missionary church if you will grow with a universal missionary spirit; a boundless spirit that is free and generous in self-giving to Christ who waits among your needy brothers and sisters. You will discover all this in Ôdaily conversation' with Christ, your friend, who is present in the Eucharist and who follows you speaking, loving, and calling with the living and forever young word of the gospel."

Go out and proclaim the resurrected Christ as the women did in the gospel today.

Be not afraid. As mentioned in the letter to Peter, don't be afraid to let your love for one another be intense.

Use your gifts for the service of others.

God doesn't make junk.

Live Jesus, be holy, dedicated yourself totally to God.

Totus tuus: all yours, whole and entire.

This was the Pope's coat of arms; this was the Pope's raison d'etre, his existence, and his spirituality. This was what made him universally recognized, admired, respected, and attracted.

He gave himself totally to God. It was the essence of his holiness. It was a holiness that naturally attracted millions and millions of people.

This holiness, this spirituality always led and pointed to another - to the one who breathed life and meaning into it - to the person of Jesus Christ!

You're the church; you're not the future; you're the present.

Rebuild this church, heal it, help it to reinvigorate itself.

Be who you are and be that well and
Do not be afraid!