Vatican City, 4 May 2014 (VIS) –
“Peter is a witness to the hope there is in Christ … and is the
firm point of reference for the community, since he is based on the
rock that is Christ. … Thus was John Paul II, a true stone anchored
to the great Rock”. With these words, the Pope began his homily in
the Roman Church of St. Stanislaw in Rome this Sunday, in which he
joined with the Polish community to give thanks for the canonisation
of John Paul II. Francis mentioned that, during his pontificate, Pope
Wojtyla visited this church on more than eighty occasions and said
that “in moments of sadness or dejection, when all appeared to be
lost, he never lost hope, as his faith and hope were rooted in God.
And therefore he was an anchor stone, a rock for this community”.
The Holy Father commented that the
Polish population is well aware that, to enter into glory, one must
pass through passion and the cross, “and they know this not because
they have studied it, but because they have experienced it. St. John
Paul II, as a worthy son of his earthly homeland, followed this
route. He followed it in an exemplary fashion, being thoroughly
despoiled by God. For this reason, his flesh reposes in hope”.
The Pope asked those present if they
were willing to follow this route and mentioned that St. Peter, with
the voice of St. John Paul II, asks us to conduct ourselves in fear
of God during our time on earth. “We are wayfarers”, he
emphasised, “but not errants. We walk, but we know where we are
going. Errants do not. We are pilgrims but not vagabonds, as St. John
Paul II used to say”.
He concluded, “We too can become
'resurrected wayfarers', if His Word warms our heart, and His
Eucharist opens our eyes to faith and nourishes us with hope and
charity. We too can walk alongside our brothers and sisters who are
sad and desperate, warm our hearts with the Gospel, and break the
bread of fraternity with them”.
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