Readings

Predictions

Patty's Perspective

About Patty

Good Stuff!

Mission

Connections

Welcome Page

We saw continual TV coverage of Pope John Paul II’s decline, death and funeral. Some had resented the fact that a Catholic personage took up so much space on international television. Let’s think: what did he replace?

America had been focused on death. TV news of death, murder, rape, war and immorality dominated the airwaves. Downright silliness is given prominence and importance on TV. The Terry Schiavo situation was a sharp focus on the value and integrity of each human being – or not. Focused on living and dying. That situation brought up issues of euthanasia and abortion, all death focused, and hotly argued, with a USA divided.

Then comes the continual coverage of the Pope. When you read the Pope’s writings, one of the first things he says is that all life is a gift from God, therefore all life, every human being has integrity and value, because all human beings were created by God. The ugliness and sadness of depraved human behavior was replaced by the beauty and joy of this one man who had dedicated his life to God, to serve mankind for God. Everything around Pope John Paul II was beauty and joy, even in his times of challenge.

We saw and heard over and over, “you may not agree with him, but he was steadfast in his integrity and his morality.” We heard the story of his forgiveness of the man who tried to kill him, not the shooting, the forgiveness, in person, in jail. We heard the story of how he greatly contributed to the defeat of communism, a Godless system.

We heard and saw the stories of his difficult early life in Poland, and how that life could have led to his public forgiveness from the catholic church of the Jews part in the death of Jesus.

John Paul II attracted more people than any other person in the world, now or in the past. His funeral attracted more people, both in person and viewing on TV, than any other person in the world, ever, more than any movie star, entertainer or politician – for a man of God. We saw thousands of people waiting in the cold, heat and rain to hear Mass with him. We saw him go to countries where the heads of state really did not want him, but he went anyway, he was not afraid. And he thereby changed the religious atmosphere of those countries.

He created precedent, or broke the rules, even at his funeral. All the heads of state, seated alphabetically. Unfriendly nations shook hands of friendship during the Mass, women reading scripture. A rabbi spoke, the Eastern Orthodox bishops had their ceremony around the casket. All this is astounding and was unheard of before John Paul II. Another of his foci was to try to bring religions together in brotherhood or friendship, centered upon our similarities. John Paul II was the first and only pope to enter a synagogue or a mosque, let alone both, a true breakthrough in religious and international relations.

I was struck by the similarity to ancient Egypt with some of the symbols. The shape of the casket was Egyptian, as was the “sled” it was carried on, down to the red color. The shape of the bishops mitres (tall hats) is decidedly similar to the crowns worn by the Egyptian pharaohs as seen on the reliefs in the pyramids and the Jewish high priests in ancient times. I was also struck by the similarity in the shape of the rabbis and the bishops robes. The huge altar was fronted by the dark red tapestry with symbols. Note that the gold crosses on the robes and on the altar were equal crosses, not the elongated cross, a peek into the progression of religion of the next 2000 years? I could not clearly see the symbols on either side of the center cross on the tapestry, but they looked like four different jars! They probably were not, but looked like it. Many jars are depicted on the walls of the pyramids, jars were prominent in both the old and new testaments, and the subject of jars leads us to discussion of the ages:

Jesus brought in the Age of Pisces, 2000+ years ago. The common people, (the people Pope John Paul II attracted and reached out to), gradually established the symbol of Christianity as the fish, the symbol of the Age of Pisces. The apostles were fisherman. Now the earth has astronomically entered the Age of Aquarius, whose symbol is a jar. Wonder how the symbol will evolve? The Mosaic law was an eye for an eye; Jesus established forgiveness. The sign of Aquarius symbolizes brotherly love, tolerance, friendship and equality, of which Pope John Paul II laid the cornerstone. How will we each do our part to further these qualities?

Your ideas for future columns are welcomed and will be kept confidential.

Readings / Predictions / Patty's Perspective / About Patty / Good Stuff / Mission / Connections / Welcome Page