A Golden Opportunity
Catholic, General April 5th, 2005I have no doubt that John Paul II will have just as big an impact in death as he did in life. I think one aspect of that will be a renewed interest in Catholicism. I know that a lot of people, Christian and non-Christian, are going to be very curious about not only the man, but also his Faith. As Catholics, we must be prepared to tell others, especially if asked, why we are Catholic and defend our Faith if needed (with charity in all cases, of course).
Although I have no national statistics, I can attest that my website has been receiving double the normal hits. And, all of the pages related to conversion, have doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in hits the last few days! People seem to be interested in learning more about Catholicism or coming back to it. As Catholics, we must lovingly encourage and help those seek. We must work with the Spirit of God in what may be a huge, golden opportunity.
April 5th, 2005 at 6:34 pm
Hi Jonathan, I have to say that I have been really affected by the last few days and hours of John Paul II’s life. I can’t explain it but it was very powerful.
April 7th, 2005 at 11:11 am
Jonathan,
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree with you as Roman catholics we need to know and understand our faith.Its sad to go to Mass and see the people doing the orans posture (all the while having no idea what it means or why they would even do it), standing at the alter during the consecration, wearing short skirts, torn jeans, and teeshirts,playing top 40 christian music i.e. Teen Mass,holding hands during the Our Father. You may say these are small disobedients with little Significance however if you believe Christ is in the Eucharist it seems to magnify its significance as Jesus is truly before you and you would want to show the upmost respect and worship to him. Wouldnt you agree?
April 9th, 2005 at 11:51 am
Andy,
I think it’s having that affect on many people. It’s hard not to be moved by his life and great faith. Even as a Catholic, his life and death have made me examine my faith in a deeper way.
April 9th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
jonathan, they are coming here because you are inspired, my dear. i think it’s wonderful they are getting to know you and your *wisdom beyond your years…*
peace.
April 11th, 2005 at 12:58 am
I also was very affected in the death of JP II. So much has already been written on how JP II affected the lives of millions, and helped the church move into a more progressive future. With that said, I was appalled the Vatican allowed Cardinal Law preside over any portion of the Holy Father’s funeral. In a rare moment in time where the church could reach out to millions of non-Christians and those Christians who have lost their way, the Vatican allowed a Cardinal who admitted the tremendous wrongs which he had committed. The backlash will be severe I am afraid. How can we hope to heal others, when we cannot take care of our own mistakes within the Church.
April 12th, 2005 at 10:45 am
~m2~
Thank you for your kind words. I hope God does use me in some way to further his plans.
April 12th, 2005 at 10:56 am
Russell,
I would like to see the next Pope crack down on many of the abuses happening in North America, Down Under, and parts of Europe. Perhaps John Paul II knew that theological liberalism is a spent force and was content to let it die naturally. But, I think the next Pope needs to be more “hands on” when it comes to cracking down on the nonsense. I agree with you about Cardinal Law. It was a bad move that reflects poorly on the Church.