NOVENA to St John Paul the Great: DAY THREE – 15 OCTOBER
Little Known Fact #3: During his fourth year of Theological studies, Karol Wojtyla felt an increasing call to enter a Carmelite monastery. In the same year, one of his good friends, Br Leonard Kowalowka, was appointed Novice Master at a Carmelite monastery. This appointment of his friend prompted Wojtyla to pursue his desire to be a Carmelite. Wojtyla applied to enter the monastery at Czerna but transferring from the Diocesesan seminary to a religious monastery needed the approval of the bishop. Cardinal Sapieha did not give his approval and instead told Wojtyla to “finish what he started.” Wojtyla did exactly that and stayed the path of a Diocesesan priest.
REFLECTION DAY THREE: “In October 1978 Cardinal Wojtyla once again heard the voice of the Lord. Once more there took place that dialogue with Peter reported in the Gospel of this Mass: “Simon, son of John, do you love me? Feed my sheep!” To the Lord’s question, “Karol, do you love me?,” the Archbishop of Krakow answered from the depths of his heart: “Lord you know everything; you know that I love you.” The love of Christ was the dominant force in the life of our beloved Holy Father. Anyone who ever saw him pray, who ever heard him preach, knows that. Thanks to his being profoundly rooted in Christ, he was able to bear a burden which transcends merely human abilities: that of being the shepherd of Christ’s flock, his universal Church.”……..Pope Benedict
Let us Pray:
O Holy Trinity, we thank You for having given to the Church Pope John Paul II and for having made him shine with Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christand the splendour of the Spirit of love.
He, trusting completely in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us the way of holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You Grant us, through his intercession, according to Your will, the grace that we implore,
………………….. [state your intention here].
Continue, beloved St John Paul, we implore you, to sustain from heaven the faith of God’s people. We praise and thank You Father that St John Paul has been numbered among Your saints and make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit, one God forever. Totus Tuus, Amen.
Quote Day Three: “A person’s rightful due is to be treated as an object of love, not as an object for use.”
AnaStpaul 