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John Paul II: An Example of God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness
by Brian
Over the weekend a number of television networks commemorated John Paul II 25th anniversary as Pope. They showed scenes and clips from the day of his election to the present. What struck me were the more recent clips of the Holy Father where he looked extremely frail and weak being chauffeured around in a wheelchair.
As these images of the Holy Father flashed across the television screen a scriptural verse popped into my head. It was from St. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians where Jesus said to St. Paul "…for My power is made perfect in weakness"(12:9). There are some who believe the Popes frail health is a sure sign that he is unable to lead the Church or guide the new evangelization. But after reflecting on Our Lord's words, I couldn't disagree more.
I see God using the Pope's weakness and declining health as an instrument to bring about His glory and a harvest of spiritual riches. I believe John Paul is spiritually more powerful now than at any other time during his papacy. As St. Paul told the Colossians, "…in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the Church…"(1:24).
In a world where suffering is shunned, while ease and comfort is embraced, the Holy Father is showing us the solution to reversing the tide of spiritual tepidity that is flooding our society and culture. What is this solution? It is the total abandonment to Divine Providence in realm of physical suffering, or in other words, redemptive suffering.
Through his weakness, suffering and abandonment, John Paul is allowing God and Our Lady to use him as an instrument to manifest the spiritual power of Christ. Let us pray for the Holy Father and ask for the graces to follow his example that will set the world on fire for Jesus.