God is Love

Review:

The past year, Clinton and I have seen many movies on Saturday nights EWTN Cinema feature. We've learned more about Karol Wojtyla prior to becoming Pope John Paul II through the many movies of his life. We've viewed several different movies about him over the course of a year, beginning when he was a young student at the Jagiellonian University.  These movies reveal the upheavals in Poland over the years, as well as the life of Karol Wojtyla, covering the Nazi occupation in 1939 when they treated the Polish citizens with extreme brutality.

Warsaw ghettos

In 1942, discerning his call to the Priesthood, Wojtyla began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by the Archbishop Sapieha, during the terrors of the Nazis. It was a dangerous and courageous thing to do. He was ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in November 1946. In 1947, Soviet forces captured Warsaw. All German forces were driven from Poland. It then became a Communist People's Republic.

During this time of fear and bloodshed, Wojtyla served as Vicar of various parishes in Krakow, as well as chaplain to University students. Much of these horrors were depicted in the Movie. More prominent was the character of Wojtyla's gentle spirit - tough as nails, which gifted him with the ability to teach the citizens and the students to stand fast in the Faith, encouraging them to face life bravely and to act only in Love.

Later, he became a professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow. During this time, he was elevated to Bishop of Krakow. The movie depicted his teaching as a professor, which allowed us to get a peek of his brilliant mind and his influence over the students, preaching and forming 

them in courage and love.

During this film we saw the portrayal of Wojtyla in his rise from Priest to Pope.  

He lived his message of love"Be not afraid" he taught: " "Do not be discouraged". In keeping with today's reading I Cor 13: 4-13. His constant theme was Love. I sat there realizing that I was being formed by the depiction of this Saintly man's manifestation of love in action.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It is not jealous, it is not pompous,

It is not inflated, it is not rude,

it does not seek its own interests,

it is not quick-tempered,

it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing

but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.