The Funeral of the Pope 2005
I watched the funeral and burial of Pope John Paul the II on television. The first scriptural readings, were Acts 10:34,
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
followed by Phillippians 3:20-4:1.
Phi 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Phi 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Followed by, John 21:15-19.
Joh 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. Joh 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Joh 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. Joh 21:19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Cardinal Ratzinger praised Christ and spoke of the post-resurrection words of Christ to Peter; the Cardinal spoke of how Pope John Paul II, heard in his youth the words of Christ, saying, "follow me"; the Cardinal spoke of how St. Peter perceived that God shows no partiality but accepts the godly of every nation; the Cardinal related how John Paul heard a voice say to him, "behold your mother" just as Christ had said this on the cross. The cardinal assured us that the Pope is in heaven, seeing us, blessing us. The Cardinal said, regarding the pope, that the mother of God dies with and and will always die with you (the Pope) for the glory of her son.
The pope was praised as unselfish, and the Nicene creed was said. Psalm 17 was said,
Psa 17:1 A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Psa 17:2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Psa 17:3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psa 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Psa 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
Psa 17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Psa 17:7 Show thy marvelous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
Psa 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 17:9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Psa 17:10 They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
Psa 17:11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Psa 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Psalm 22,
Psa 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psa 22:2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
Psa 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psa 22:4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
Psa 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Psa 22:8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psa 22:9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psa 22:10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
Psa 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Psa 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
Psa 22:13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
Psa 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Psa 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psa 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Psa 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Psa 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Psa 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Psa 22:24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
Psa 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live forever.
Psa 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psa 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
had been said the beginning.
And I was thinking, that I enjoy self hate, having disrespect for myself in the sense of realizing that I, like probably most of the catholic faithful, at heart, resemble Nichomachus, who cursed Christ to escape torture on the rack, and then died in agony, because I realize that I am not the tough under torture type at heart, even though I have never actually committed the offense of cursing Christ.
I prefer the thrill of praying that I become something better than a Nichomachus, the thrill of hoping to excel a Nichomachus, the thrill of despising myself for being a Nichomachus, the thrill of reverencing those of the human race have transcended being a Nichomachus, the thrill of striving to make up for being a Nichomachus, I prefer these thrills, to expecting nothing of myself or the human race, not having high standards for myself, not reverencing the heroes, and not despising myself for being at heart something less than a martyr-saint.
Watching the ceremonies I thought of how long ago, one of the jewish lads in ancient Israel managed to become an incarnation of God, and his companions managed to become almost as great as him.
Watching the orthodox in procession, I thought of how ancient Israel, is geographically even closer to Greece than it is to Rome.
The catholics at the funeral prayed for the catholic dead and those gathered at the funeral.
And I was thinking, that we humans are bored people because we are justly punished with boredom as a punishment for our sins; and Christ came down to a level where he could become united with our bored selves, when he was, aside from however much pain he was in, bored on the cross while crucified.
And I was thinking, this funeral most wisely understood, is not about those who do not know what has happened to Pope John Paul's soul after his death being damned; this is about all those who have gone to heaven in general, the man buried at the funeral is a symbol of those who have entered heaven; otherwise we would be able to derive no spiritual benefit from dignified funerals of those regarding whom we do not know where they have gone after they have died, funerals of famous men who have lived lives that are less than saintly. I was thinking, we are called to faith in Christ and in God, not to faith in any man, and this funeral properly understood teaches us that.
I was remembering how one of the popes had said, that the final outcome regarding a man's soul remains in doubt into the final seconds of the man's life. As the service wore on, I was thinking, a funeral at its best, a funeral wisely understood, as this funeral can be understood, is not the worship of a man, as if the important thing, was believing or knowing that the man was now in a state of exaltation reserved for the greatest saints.
When I saw the elegantly dressed young catholic couples bow the knee to Cardinal Ratzinger, I did not blame them, to me, it was as if the Cardinal was a symbol of the holiest church leaders of all time; to me it was as if the funeral was a play, with various actors in the play representing the all time greats amongst people and teachers and disciples and heroes.
As the funeral wore on, I was thinking, policemen honor policemen, firemen honor firemen, lawyers honor lawyers, doctors honor doctors, and priests honor priests.
I was thinking, is this (the life of the True Church) about making up for being at heart a Nichomachus, the type who would recant under torture, by somehow pleasing God, or is it about landlords going to heaven and serfs going to hell simply because more prayers were said for the landlords because they let out property on the grounds the tenants pray for the souls of the landlords? I was thinking, this funeral, most properly understood, should inspire mankind to wisdom and virtue regarding such questions as arose in my mind during the funeral.
@2005 David Virgil Hobbs
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
followed by Phillippians 3:20-4:1.
Phi 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Phi 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Followed by, John 21:15-19.
Joh 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. Joh 21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Joh 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. Joh 21:19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Cardinal Ratzinger praised Christ and spoke of the post-resurrection words of Christ to Peter; the Cardinal spoke of how Pope John Paul II, heard in his youth the words of Christ, saying, "follow me"; the Cardinal spoke of how St. Peter perceived that God shows no partiality but accepts the godly of every nation; the Cardinal related how John Paul heard a voice say to him, "behold your mother" just as Christ had said this on the cross. The cardinal assured us that the Pope is in heaven, seeing us, blessing us. The Cardinal said, regarding the pope, that the mother of God dies with and and will always die with you (the Pope) for the glory of her son.
The pope was praised as unselfish, and the Nicene creed was said. Psalm 17 was said,
Psa 17:1 A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Psa 17:2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Psa 17:3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Psa 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Psa 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
Psa 17:6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Psa 17:7 Show thy marvelous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
Psa 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 17:9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
Psa 17:10 They are enclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
Psa 17:11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Psa 17:12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Psa 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Psalm 22,
Psa 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psa 22:2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
Psa 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psa 22:4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
Psa 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Psa 22:8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psa 22:9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psa 22:10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
Psa 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Psa 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
Psa 22:13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
Psa 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Psa 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psa 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Psa 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Psa 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Psa 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Psa 22:24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
Psa 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live forever.
Psa 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psa 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
had been said the beginning.
And I was thinking, that I enjoy self hate, having disrespect for myself in the sense of realizing that I, like probably most of the catholic faithful, at heart, resemble Nichomachus, who cursed Christ to escape torture on the rack, and then died in agony, because I realize that I am not the tough under torture type at heart, even though I have never actually committed the offense of cursing Christ.
I prefer the thrill of praying that I become something better than a Nichomachus, the thrill of hoping to excel a Nichomachus, the thrill of despising myself for being a Nichomachus, the thrill of reverencing those of the human race have transcended being a Nichomachus, the thrill of striving to make up for being a Nichomachus, I prefer these thrills, to expecting nothing of myself or the human race, not having high standards for myself, not reverencing the heroes, and not despising myself for being at heart something less than a martyr-saint.
Watching the ceremonies I thought of how long ago, one of the jewish lads in ancient Israel managed to become an incarnation of God, and his companions managed to become almost as great as him.
Watching the orthodox in procession, I thought of how ancient Israel, is geographically even closer to Greece than it is to Rome.
The catholics at the funeral prayed for the catholic dead and those gathered at the funeral.
And I was thinking, that we humans are bored people because we are justly punished with boredom as a punishment for our sins; and Christ came down to a level where he could become united with our bored selves, when he was, aside from however much pain he was in, bored on the cross while crucified.
And I was thinking, this funeral most wisely understood, is not about those who do not know what has happened to Pope John Paul's soul after his death being damned; this is about all those who have gone to heaven in general, the man buried at the funeral is a symbol of those who have entered heaven; otherwise we would be able to derive no spiritual benefit from dignified funerals of those regarding whom we do not know where they have gone after they have died, funerals of famous men who have lived lives that are less than saintly. I was thinking, we are called to faith in Christ and in God, not to faith in any man, and this funeral properly understood teaches us that.
I was remembering how one of the popes had said, that the final outcome regarding a man's soul remains in doubt into the final seconds of the man's life. As the service wore on, I was thinking, a funeral at its best, a funeral wisely understood, as this funeral can be understood, is not the worship of a man, as if the important thing, was believing or knowing that the man was now in a state of exaltation reserved for the greatest saints.
When I saw the elegantly dressed young catholic couples bow the knee to Cardinal Ratzinger, I did not blame them, to me, it was as if the Cardinal was a symbol of the holiest church leaders of all time; to me it was as if the funeral was a play, with various actors in the play representing the all time greats amongst people and teachers and disciples and heroes.
As the funeral wore on, I was thinking, policemen honor policemen, firemen honor firemen, lawyers honor lawyers, doctors honor doctors, and priests honor priests.
I was thinking, is this (the life of the True Church) about making up for being at heart a Nichomachus, the type who would recant under torture, by somehow pleasing God, or is it about landlords going to heaven and serfs going to hell simply because more prayers were said for the landlords because they let out property on the grounds the tenants pray for the souls of the landlords? I was thinking, this funeral, most properly understood, should inspire mankind to wisdom and virtue regarding such questions as arose in my mind during the funeral.
@2005 David Virgil Hobbs
posted by David Virgil at 11:19 AM
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