ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear brother Bishops and Priests,
Dear Deacons, Religious and Lay Faithful,

Today we observe the second anniversary of the death of our late beloved Holy Father, Pope John Paul II.

Two years ago today, Saturday, April 2, 2005, just hours after his death, a large congregation gathered in this Cathedral Basilica for the Mass that I was privileged to offer for the soul of Pope John Paul II. He died Rome time at 9:37 p.m. Just an hour and a half earlier, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass had been offered in his room. It was his last Mass; it was the Mass of the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday.

Already the Church was announcing the great gift of God’s mercy. In her psalm she was singing: "His mercy endures forever." Meanwhile as Pope John Paul II lay dying, the words of the First Letter of Saint Peter were being proclaimed in his presence: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Then came another powerful proclamation in that Letter of Saint Peter, so applicable to John Paul II: "Although you have not seen him, you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Then came the reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint John. Just as Jesus had spoken to the Apostles on the first Easter evening, now He was speaking personally to John Paul II, saying: "Peace be with you." And then He repeated a second time: "Peace be with you." Shortly thereafter, Jesus led John Paul II into the eternal peace of the Most Blessed Trinity, and the world began to call him John Paul the Great.

Already today he is revered as a "Servant of God" and his cause for canonization moves forward.

Meanwhile we assemble at this Eucharist to remember our beloved John Paul II and to praise and thank God for having raised him up to be the Vicar of Christ for the universal Church. It was God who chose him to represent His Son Jesus, and to lead the Church in the name of Jesus for twenty-six and a half years.

Today on this Monday of Holy Week our thoughts turn to Jesus Christ our great High Priest and the eternal Shepherd and Pontiff of the Church. The Prophet Isaiah speaks to us in prophecy about Jesus and presents to us the Father’s words about His Son: "Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations.... the coastlands will wait for his teaching."

Once again we see how accurately these words apply to Jesus and to His role as leader of the Church. But today we also see the depth of God’s wisdom and power in raising up John Paul II to participate in the High Priesthood of Jesus, and through Him and with Him and in Him to share His role in bringing forth justice to the nations as the coastlands await His teaching.

In particular, the Church praises God for the teaching of John Paul II and especially for his proclaiming to us so effectively and so insistently the revealed message of God’s mercy. So many times John Paul II showed us the meaning of mercy as God’s love in the face of our needs, our weaknesses, our sins. In his pontificate Divine Mercy was identified as the second name of God’s love (cf. Dives in Misericordia, 7).

John Paul II proclaimed Divine Mercy by his words and deeds. His whole life was this teaching. And today, two years after his death, we offer special praise to the God of mercy who continues to reveal mercy in the life and death of John Paul the Great. Amen.