My nephew John Paul with Pope John Paul II
On April 2, 2011 � the sixth anniversary of Pope John Paul II�s death � the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issued a decree concerning the liturgical norms for Masses of Thanksgiving in honor of Blessed John Paul II. In the Archdiocese of Boston, Cardinal Se�n O�Malley will celebrate an Archdiocesan Mass of Thanksgiving today, Saturday, October 22nd at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Pope Benedict XVI established October 22nd as the feast day of his predecessor, commemorating the date of Pope John Paul II�s inauguration in 1978.
In addition to the Archdiocesan Mass of Thanksgiving that will be celebrated this Saturday morning at the Cathedral, Cardinal Se�n wishes to grant permission for Pastors who wish to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in their parishes in honor of Blessed John Paul II. This Mass may be celebrated this Saturday, October 22, and may take place at the regularly scheduled daily Mass in the morning.
The following English translation of the Collect prayer has been issued for the feast of Blessed John Paul II:
O God, who are rich in mercy
and who willed that the Blessed John Paul the Second
should preside as Pope over your universal Church,
grant, we pray, that instructed by his teaching,
we may open our hearts to the saving grace of Christ,
the sole Redeemer of mankind.
Who live and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
The Congregation also recommended the following Lectionary readings, all taken from the Common of Pastors:
First Reading � Isaiah 52: 7-10 (no. 719.5)
Responsorial Psalm � Psalm 96: 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10 (no. 721.5)
Alleluia Verse � John 10: 14 (no. 723.5)
Gospel � John 21: 15-17
For the Liturgy of the Hours, the biography and Second Reading for the Office of Readings was also issued:
October 22
BLESSED JOHN PAUL II, POPECharles Joseph Wojtyła was born in 1920 in Wadowice, Poland. After his ordination to the priesthood and theological studies in Rome, he returned to his homeland and resumed various pastoral and academic tasks. He became first auxiliary bishop and, in 1964, Archbishop of Krakow and took part in the Second Vatican Council. On 16 October 1978 he was elected pope and took the name John Paul II. His exceptional apostolic zeal, particularly for families, young people and the sick, led him to numerous pastoral visits throughout the world. Among the many fruits which he has left as a heritage to the Church are above all his rich Magisterium and the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as the Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church and for the Eastern Churches. In Rome on 2 April 2005, the eve of the Second Sunday of Easter (or of Divine Mercy), he departed peacefully in the Lord.
From the Common of Pastors: For a Pope.
Office of Readings
SECOND READING
From the Homily of Blessed John Paul II, Pope,
for the Inauguration of his Pontificate
(22 October 1978: AAS 70 [1978], 945-947)Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!
Peter came to Rome! What else but obedience to the inspiration received from the Lord could have guided him and brought him to this city, the heart of the Empire? Perhaps the fisherman of Galilee did not want to come here. Perhaps he would have preferred to stay there, on the shores of Lake of Genesareth, with his boat and his nets. Yet guided by the Lord, obedient to his inspiration, he came here!
According to an ancient tradition, Peter tried to leave Rome during Nero�s persecution. However, the Lord intervened and came to meet him. Peter spoke to him and asked, �Quo vadis, Domine?� � �Where are you going, Lord?� And the Lord answered him at once: �I am going to Rome to be crucified again.� Peter went back to Rome and stayed here until his crucifixion.
Our time calls us, urges us, obliges us, to gaze on the Lord and to immerse ourselves in humble and devout meditation on the mystery of the supreme power of Christ himself.
He who was born of the Virgin Mary, the carpenter�s Son (as he was thought to be), the Son of the living God (as confessed by Peter), came to make us all �a kingdom of priests.�
The Second Vatican Council has reminded us of the mystery of this power and of the fact that Christ�s mission as Priest, Prophet-Teacher and King continues in the Church. Everyone, the whole People of God, shares in this threefold mission. Perhaps in the past the tiara, that triple crown, was placed on the Pope�s head in order to signify by that symbol the Lord�s plan for his Church, namely that all the hierarchical order of Christ�s Church, all �sacred power� exercised in the Church, is nothing other than service, service with a single purpose: to ensure that the whole People of God shares in this threefold mission of Christ and always remains under the power of the Lord; a power that has its source not in the powers of this world, but instead in the mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection.
The absolute, and yet sweet and gentle, power of the Lord responds to the whole depths of the human person, to his loftiest aspirations of intellect, will and heart. It does not speak the language of force, but expresses itself in charity and truth.
The new Successor of Peter in the See of Rome today makes a fervent, humble and trusting prayer: Christ, make me become and remain the servant of your unique power, the servant of your sweet power, the servant of your power that knows no dusk. Make me a servant: indeed, the servant of your servants.
Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ�s power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind.
Do not be afraid. Open, I say open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of states, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows �that which is in man.� He alone knows it.
So often today, man does not know that which is in him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair. We ask you, therefore, we beg you with humility and with trust, let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of life eternal.
RESPONSORYDo not be afraid. The Redeemer of mankind has revealed
the power of the Cross and has given his life for us.
�Open, open wide the doors for Christ.In the Church we are called to partake of his power.
�Open, open wide the doors for Christ.
reading this, I feel your pain. My kids are a little older now, so our bad nights are different from this—I don’t pften have more than one going at once. The baby who can’t nurse is always really upsetting, I think. I hope you all start feeling better soon—and I hope you stay well!
James and the girls have a cough/cold as well. I’m the only one that is not sick but with sick kids, my sleep has been pretty pathetic. Plus, after 3, or is it four?, colds in the last month and a half, the coughing/cold thing is becoming a bit of the natural rhythm of life. I’m looking forward to being a cold-free house, but I’ve stopped holding my breath in anticipation. Until we are there though, you do what you have to do and go with it.
Hope you stay cold-free and everyone feels better soon!!! (Any blogs I want to comment on but read on my phone, I keep up on a separate page on my phone to remind me until I’m at my computer and then type up the response.
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