Why John Paul II Was
‘Larger Than Life’

Q U I C K S C A N

Opening the door to Christ
The other option
And finally…

Come July 2, three months will have passed since Pope John Paul II died. The amazing attention he received from world leaders and the international media at the time of his death and funeral made us realize—even more than ever before—his larger-than-life stature as a man of faith. In his deep faith and life of prayer, he tapped into a power that gave him strength beyond his own human resources.

In his best-selling book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul said some things about prayer that shed light on how he prayed and on how we can pray more powerfully. Prayer, he says, “is commonly held to be a conversation. In a conversation there are always an ‘I’ and a ‘thou’ or ‘you.’ In this case the ‘Thou’ is with a capital T. If at first the ‘I’ seems to be the most important element in prayer, prayer teaches that the situation is actually different. The ‘Thou’ is more important, because our prayer begins with God.”

To reinforce this point, the pope later added: “Man achieves the fullness of prayer not when he expresses himself, but when he lets God be most fully present in prayer.” If we really want God to become more alive in us, we need to give more attention to God’s role in our prayer and let God transform us.

I would like to continue this line of thought by sharing some reflections I have written elsewhere. They are my thoughts on the words Pope John Paul II made famous during his life among us: “Do not be afraid to open the door to Christ.”

Opening the door to Christ

“When we open wide the door to Christ, we have two options. We can welcome Christ to cross over the threshold in our space or we can pass over the threshold into Christ’s realm. As a matter of psychology, we tend to favor the first choice. Our first instinct is to welcome Christ into our space, our dwelling. To most of us, that option seems safer. It is our turf, so to speak, and we feel more in control there.

“A familiar passage in the Book of Revelation suggests just that option. The risen Jesus says, ‘I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me’ (3:20-21). This is a comforting image of the soul’s union with Christ. Jesus comes into our hearts, embraces us and strengthens us in our unique identity. And perhaps it prepares us for the second option.

The other option

“The second option—crossing the threshold and venturing into Christ’s space and reality—seems more daring, even frightening. We feel less in control as we move into the mysterious space of the risen Christ, whom not even the universe can contain.

“But if we have allowed Christ to come into our humble space and have come to know his gentle love and healing concern, we are given the courage to cross the threshold into his great love. Yes, we leave our defenses behind and cross over into Christ’s presence and all-consuming love. But being with Christ is a safe place to be. Christ’s intentions toward us are not to harm us or diminish us in any way. On the contrary, he wants to nurture us and lead us into wholeness and into the ‘glory of God,’ which St. Irenaeus says is the human person fully alive.

“‘Do not be afraid,’ Jesus tells us. ‘Let yourself be open to my transforming love and power. You will not lose your identity. Rather you will blossom into your truest self—into the full stature of Christ. In so doing, you will find your true meaning and definition and happiness.’

And finally…

“As Pope John Paul II has said in Redemptor Hominis [The Redeemer of Man] , ‘In Christ and through Christ we have come to acquire full awareness of our dignity, of the heights to which we are raised, of the surpassing worth of our humanity, and of the meaning of our existence.’ Do not be afraid to cross the threshold into Christ. Christ is our most sublime destiny.”

(From A Retreat With Pope John Paul II: Be not Afraid by Jack Wintz, O.F.M. St. Anthony Messenger Press. pp. 75-76.)

Friar Jim’s Inbox

Readers respond to Friar Jim’s “Catechism Quiz: Sacrament of Matrimony.”

Dear Friar Jim: I have been married 25 years to my husband. One other thing that I think married life has done for me was to help me find my way to God. I think it is very important that we together as a couple help each other by the vows we have taken. In some way I feel it is through these vows that we as married couples will find our salvation. We are Christ to each other, if that makes sense. Thank you for your newsletter on marriage. God Bless, Glenda

Dear Glenda: You are right on target with what you said. You and your husband are basically helpers to each other for eternity. That is why I believe in heaven, marriage partners, as too with parents and children, enjoy a special relationship. You can imagine the same things with Mary and Joseph. Of course, we can’t even imagine the joys of heaven. Marriage at its greatest here on earth is just a bare hint of what relationships are in heaven when we are united to love itself. Friar Jim

Dear Friar Jim: In your newsletter it states that it is permissible for one Catholic and one Protestant (baptized) to marry. What if the wedding ceremony takes place in a Protestant church? Is it still a valid marriage? Or will it not be a sacramental marriage? Can you answer this question for me? Thank you. Brian

Dear Brian: It can happen that a marriage takes place in a Protestant church between a Catholic and a Protestant (e.g., a Lutheran). Often the reason is that one person’s father or brother may be a minister. In that case permission from the bishop is obtained and a priest must be present as the Catholic witness for the wedding to be valid. Friar Jim

Dear Friar Jim: I enjoy very much your E-spirations but wish to ask you to make an addition in the latest one on marriage—the part “When is a marriage considered valid?” “Catholics, of course, must be married before a priest or deacon with proper delegation. But it is significant that the bride and groom confer the sacrament upon each other; the priest or deacon is there only as the official witness of the Church and the state.” As we deacons preside at many marriages, it may bring up questions of people who have been married before a deacon. Thank you. Love & Peace, Deacon John Ford

Dear Deacon Ford: Thank for you that reminder and I’m sorry I didn’t catch that. You are correct. Your work in the parish is invaluable—even moreso as we move ahead. God bless you in your ministry. Friar Jim

Send your feedback to friarjack@americancatholic.org.

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