Last weekend, amidst one million faithful gathered around St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City, Pope Benedict XVI declared Pope John Paul II “Blessed”.  Giving great delight to the Church, Benedict now shares with us a continuous blessing by allowing us to invoke Blessed John Paul II in the midst of trial and suffering, joys and worship.  I’m particularly delighted because of the admiration I have for our late pontiff who lead the Church as I was preparing for priesthood in the late 90s.

As many of us go through our daily lives, we’ll have reason to beseech God’s continued grace to assist us, to be near us, to work within and around us; may we seek, too, the intercession of Blessed John Paul II.