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death watch

death watch

Pope John Paul II lies dying on this the Friday within the Octave of Easter.

What a non-Catholic might not know is that Easter is technically not one day, Easter Sunday, it is eight days. This is reflected in the Divine Office, for eight days we pray the exact same psalms in Morning and Evening prayer.  It is all one feast, that lasts 8 days. Because one day isn’t long enough to contain our celebration of this highest and holiest of days. Instead, from the Church’s perspective we have one day which lasts an entire week.

So the Pope will most likely dies on Easter. What a joy, what a great blessing for him, for us. Tree says: “Its kind of like good friday… the king is dead, long live the king.
When the pope dies, I’ll feel every bit that mixed up. But man, he’ll be watching over us all so much better than he is now” 
He will be praying for the Church as he stand face to face with Christ. For now he sees as in a glass darkly, but then he will see face to face. To paraphrase St Paul.
And as Tree says, “what a great blessing, to have that veil stripped away.”

The splendour of Christ risen from the dead has shone on his people redeemed by his blood, alleluia.

Our Redeemer has risen from the tomb; let us sing a hymn of praise to the Lord our God, alleluia.

Alleluia, the Lord is risen as he promised, alleluia.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia.

tree also has a good entry

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4 comments
  • ah, but you are so right! what a great love story, this Karol and our Christ!

    Debbie said that fox was reporting on a woman who told a story of being liberated from auschwitz. And this young man came up and gave her bread, went away, and then came back and carried her on his back to the train station because she couldn’t hardly walk.

    Then she saw him later with a funny hat.

    I’ve heard so many great stories of the pope.

  • There is another one I heard. Though in my typical fashion I’ve forgotten the names of everyone in it. There was a priest making a visit to Rome, and he had the honor of being invited to dine with the Pope. He went to Mass beforehand, and on his way in he saw one of the many beggars in Rome. This one caught his attention, though he couldn’t say why. It bothered him all through Mass, and when he left, he saw the beggar again. At some point he had remembered who the beggar was. He and the beggar had gone to seminary together and been ordained together. He asked the beggar why he was begging on the streets of Rome. The beggar told him that he had had a crisis of faith. He didn’t believe anymore. He had left the priesthood, and his life had just gotten out of control, until he was reduced to begging.

    During dinner with the Holy Father, he mentioned the man, and how told the Pope his story. The Pope told him to come back again, and bring the beggar with him.

    So the priest went and found the beggar, and invited him and told him of the pope’s invitation. The beggar refused, saying he was so dirty and wretched, he couldn’t possibly dine with the Pope. The priest insisted, and finally convinced the guy. So he took the beggar home, cleaned him up, put him in decent clothes, got him a haricut, and all that, and took him up to the Vatican.

    They had dinner with the Pope, and at some point the Pope told the priest to leave. So he left the room. Eventually he was allowed back in, and he saw tha this friend was changed. When they left he asked his friend what the Pope had said to him.

    His beggar friend replied that the Pope had asked the beggar if he would hear the Pope’s confession. The beggar had replied that he could not, as he was no longer a priest. The Pope replied “once a priest, always a priest.” One is ordained a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. He insisted that the beggar hear his confession. The beggar, greatly moved, conceded and heard the pope’s confession.

    Somewhere in there, his faith was renewed. In no small part, I am sure, due to the Holy Spirit working through our Holy Father. Bolstered by the Pope’s words, he picked himself back up and took up again his priestly robes. He now works in Rome, ministering to the poor and the homeless,  whom he is well suited to understand, and in whom I think he is better able to see the face of our Lord.

  • If we have died with Christ, then we will be raised with him…

    Christ is risen from the dead and by his death he has trampled upon death and has given life to those who are in the tomb.

     

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