From the Saints I must take the substance, not the accidents, of their virtues...God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own lifeblood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. - Saint Pope John XXIII
About ten years my Godmother started cleaning our drawers and boxes that were packed with stuff she no longer needed. As she cleaned she passed kitchen and religious stuff my way as she knew they would find a welcome home with me. Her brother-in-law is a Franciscan and the bag of holy cards and such she would bring when she visited, not surprisingly, was top heavy with things Franciscan. Through the years though, in the assortment of various religious articles, there also were other things and, occasionally, Saint John XXIII would be among these other items. This was essentially my first introduction to this fascinating and amazing man. After enough Pope John XXIII holy cards and such had been passed along to me I wanted to know about the Good Pope, as he was universally called, as his legendary humor, kindness, humility and virtuous life had shone through, even in these little snippets. After getting several books about him, including his own A Journal of a Soul, I was not disappointed, but was even more impressed with him.
Today as we watch how Pope Francis interacts with people and stresses the great need for mercy, along with opening new ways for us to live out our faith, he stands on the shoulders of a giant, for John XXIII did these same things well over 50 years ago. Aggiornamento (updating) was the word used for the far reaching and necessary changes the Good Pope brought to the Church, especially in the convoking of the Second Vatican Council. For me the aggiornamento begins with the humanist heart he had from the start. This openness to looking at things from other angles brought a fresh perspective to all that he did and this shows through even in his youth. His seeing things in new ways helped him see the person first and any differences second which enabled him to put people at ease; and as I read about his skills later as a Papal diplomat during the war years, I am always amazed at what he accomplished in such delicate situations by this ability to make people comfortable. How he did this, on one hand, is really not hard to see, for in his owns words we learn, “The secret of everything is to let oneself be carried by God, and so to carry Him [to others].” For sixty some years, as priest, cardinal and pope, he did just that and it was this strongly God-centered life that in large part led to him being known universally as Good Pope John.
It’s that holy life centered on God that I want to put the most focus as we start the season of Lent. The human virtues, like any habit, are acquired through repetition. Desire also plays a part in developing and strengthening virtue; seeing the good example of a virtuous life can inspire us to ask how, we too, can become like that. The Good Pope had his shortlist of saints he admired, absorbing “the vital sap of their virtues” from which he was able to nurture his own life of holiness. We, in turn, can take Saint John XXIII as one of our saintly mentors to help us grow in virtue and humility and stay firmly planted in the heart of our Lord Jesus during this Lenten season.
I’ve given an all too brief run through on Saint John XXIII so I put forth this video to learn more about his life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q_zLfSxa04
It’s not that the gospel has changed, it is that we have begun to understand it better...and know the moment has come to discern the signs of the times to seize the opportunity to look far ahead. - Saint John XXIII
We are not honored as museum keepers but to cultivate a flourishing garden of life and to prepare a glorious future. - Saint John XXIII
Errors come and go, "like the fog before the sun." The church has always opposed errors regarding the faith and, in the past, did so "with the greatest severity. Nowadays, however, the spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than of severity. She considers that she meets the needs of the present day by demonstrating the validity of her teaching rather than by condemnations. - Saint John XXIII