St. Pope John Paul the Great and Being Joyful
By Alani Luisa Roque, UF student
Pope St. John Paul the Great, we’ve all heard about him, or at least the name sounds familiar. One of the greatest saints of our time was the first to encounter me amidst some of my deepest and darkest days, offering a steady prayer and hope for the new ways the Lord was preparing to stretch me.
It’s the end of the Fall semester of 2018, and I suddenly find myself within the walls of what I now know as the lounge of St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center. My very first Newman dinner. I was fresh-faced and new, which meant I was surrounded by warm and exciting people all wanting to learn more about me. “What’s your major, where are you from, who’s your favorite saint?” The first two were simple to answer, no thoughts required. But having to think about who my favorite saint is was not only proving to be difficult but also slightly intimidating. Little did I know that a couple of weeks later, I would fall fast and madly in love with a saint who I believe to be an amazing example of both hope and joy.
Throughout the winter break, I found myself longing more and more to know about this saint my new friends, who I met at that Newman, had been raving about. I read Saint John Paul the Great and His Five Loves by Jason Evert. Upon completing that book, it was confirmed to me that JPII was the heavenly friend I needed to intercede for me. From losing virtually every member of his family at an early age to living through WWII, he graciously accepted every obstacle the Lord placed before him. This gave my heart the desire to continue to push through in search of the joy that JPII had, which was given to him by Christ himself.
“I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” In JPII, I found the courage to continue to look upon the cross and believe that my prayers were being heard. My search for genuine and authentic friendships was no longer needed, for I found sisters and brothers in Christ through JPII.
Pope St. John Paul the Second reminded me daily to always remain joyful through life’s sufferings. During the later years of his life, he led by example humbly accepting every physical challenge the Lord gave him. The world saw this holy and admirable man change physically but never in spirit. Often encouraging the people to offer up their sufferings, he made the most of his situation and did so with a lasting smile. It was through JPII that I came to realize that although life may present its challenges, nothing is too big for the shoulders of Christ. “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you.”
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