The Feast of Pope St John Paul II.

"Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain —and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to ­interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" (Luke 12: 54.... 59).

Friday 22nd October 2021, in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of of our beloved Pope St John Paul II. (1920 - 2005). Polish. First non-Italian Pope in 455 years.  Beatified May 1, 2011 and canonized April 27, 2014. Accomplished writer. He traveled all over the world to promote understanding between nations and between different cultures and religions.  He and President Ronald Regan contributed to the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

John Paul II wrote many important encyclicals. His enduring legacy is the Catechism of the Catholic Church which he promulgated in 1992.

In our key Scripture, Jesus reproached the crowd for being able to predict the coming of storms, tornados and hurricanes and failing to see the more important signs of the times. What are the Signs of the Times? The following historical events can be listed as examples of Signs of the Times:
1. Founding of the USA.
2. Ending of Slavery.
3. Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima.
4. World War II.
5. The Papacy of John Paul II.
6. The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
7. The Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
8. The Corona Virus Pandemics.
 
All that is required to know the Signs of the Times is Faith. Faith that God is the Author of history. He is the Alpha and Omega of history. You do not need a high school diploma or PhD to read and interpret the signs of history. Jesus asked:
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?"

Pope St John Paul II is adept in reading the Signs of the Times as you can see when you read his biography. The Devil did not like this. He got him shot in Rome and caused him to suffer a lot. The Blessed Mother saved his life.

"My bishops, too, must give the example of a personal devotion to My Mother’s Rosary. Let them look at the example given, in this regard, by My servant Pope John Paul II. The desire of My Heart is that every bishop should live in the intimacy of My most pure Mother, and learn the meaning of belonging entirely to her, Totus tuus." (IN SINU JESU, January 10, 2008 Thursday Hour of Adoration and Reparation).

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