To Commemorate and Remember

I attended the mass in honour of Pope John Paul II at Assumption Church on 7th of April 2005. All catholic churches around KL and PJ held masses for JP II on this day. Even in St. John's cathedral in KL, people of all walks of faith and also some VIPs attended the mass. My younger brother attended mass there on this day. In the mass that I attended, the priest who celebrated the mass, never once used the word mourn. Instead he said to commemorate and remember the pope and to celebrate that he is with our father in heaven now.

Some people may wonder why spent all these long hours queuing to see the pope for the last time. I mean people in Rome , at least got a chance to pay respect to him in person and see him laying in state. But people around the world , may not have been so fortunate, yet with Pope John Paul's picture placed big and visible in the church, people line up to pay respect, place flowers. Why? some may see this as crazy. He was our church leader. Though many don't know him personally but he has spoken to us from afar and touched many. In each mass, his name was mentioned. We prayed for him in masses around the world when he was the reigning pope.

People queue up for hours becoz they felt a sense of connection with him. We want to pay the last respect to this wonderful, extra ordinary person who has been part of our lives for such a long time. Not to mourn but to remember and celebrate that he is with God now. Till his last breath he was the servant of God. A person, that people will remember for his spiritual life for a long time to come. A person who believes in simplicity till he wants to be buried in bare earth. A person who is so much like us - a human but yet holds the high rank in the sense of spritiual. A person with humility and humble.

If you watched CNN, on friday, there was a segment about the pope's photographer - Atturo. Even at his death bed,he called his photographer and told him Atturo Atturo, thank you. Isn't that wonderful, even at this time, he still remembers and still so humble. Never arrogant in his ways and actions.

One of his last words that touch alot of people when he was lying in bed waiting for his final hours and he was told of the many young people who has come to the vatican ctiy. and his words were so touching...........

The Pope's last audible words, on hearing tens of thousands of young people singing in St. Peter's Square as he lay in his deathbed, Friday, April 1, 2005: I sought you out and now you come to me. Thank you.

Thats the beautyl of this pope.... he is a pope who supported the youth and the young.

i leave you with this link : In His Words
http://www.cbc.ca/news/obit/pope/pope_quotes.html

P/s In the view of people always criticizing the catholic church, the pope for his stand on abortion and contraception, I believe that the pope did the right thing by the dogma of the church. Catholic church is filled with tradition and if you choose to follow a religion, i guess you have to choose to follow it all the way thru. Not easy at all...............