a phrase that st. john paul II was known to share! one that my sister and i remember especially. we took a pilgrimage to rome for pentecost in 1998. “be not afraid” was on the back of our t-shirts when we made yet another pilgrimage to new york city. we created so many memories on those trips. i was beyond excited to know that she was taking her oldest to rome this easter to celebrate his canonization. from a few of her text i could tell she was experiencing the beauty of the church all over again. this time the magnitude of it all! a lot like what i experienced at world youth day in germany my senior year of college. i had to share her instagram picture and quote. she said it so beautifully!
“Words can’t explain the ora of it all. To have millions from all over the world be so reverent and all participating in the Mass as one body was so beautiful and unforgettable! We were all surprised the canonization took all of 2 minutes … but then reflected on it realizing, these men were instruments. They brought Christ to others all the glory goes to Him! The Mass was the most important part! The focus was on Christ. It was powerful!”
so, so happy that her and gabrielle made the pilgrimage there! also so happy she is back! i’ve missed our coffee/phone dates 🙂
st. john paul II and st. john XXIII pray for us!
xxoo