That was the last time I saw his face.
To tell the truth, I have seen it hundreds of times, at any time, any day, …through the eyes of faith… and of course, through the eyes of my heart and my memory. Also, I still feel his presence, although different from the one I got used to. But, that was the last time I saw his face …so literally. In a human way, for the last time, I saw the one who was for me as a father and my master. For the last time, I saw his figure, his hands, but above all, I was seeing his face. By looking at his face, I was recalling his gaze, as it was his gaze which was so stunning and attracting attention. Until, at some point I felt that others were looking at me and I realized. I realized that, I must… I took the white cloth and placed on his face. Gently, as if I was afraid that I might hurt him, as if the silk cloth could be too heavy for him, could bring some torment. Luckily, the prayer brought some relief:
“O Lord, let his face to see Your Fatherly image. Let the face that we cannot see any longer contemplate Your beauty.”
He was already at the House of His Father, in the presence of our Lord. The earthly pilgrimage has come to an end. In this way, I was following the words of the prayer and by praying, I was recalling, I was reliving the forty years that I, an ordinary priest, being so closed to “the mystery”, I spent at his side; at the side of Karol Wojtyła.
With the consent of Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz – “Testimony”
TBA Publisher, Warszawa 2007
