Archbishop Mokrzycki particularly remembers their last spent together Lent. At Ash Wednesday they were in the hospital. John Paul II was sick at that time. He suffered with each passing day more and more. His last formal message was very personal – said Archbishop. – Although at that time I was not taking this as a form of saying farewells, preparations for the last spent together Easter. And, the Pope was writing, that Lent opens “hearts to the humble acceptance of the God’s will.” He was writing about people with advanced age; about understanding that the end is close; and, that this awareness “leads the elderly person to focus on that which is essential, giving importance to those things that the passing of years do not destroy.” When I’m thinking about this today, I read the words in a different light. – Archbishops fells into deep thoughts. – At that time, the Holy Father was writing and advising to think about the mystery of the death with confidence. And, that the definitive meeting with God will occur in a climate of interior peace…Then, when he was dying, I saw how calm he was; and, beautiful; accepting the God’s will; waiting for this meeting. John Paul II wanted us to contemplate the Book of Deuteronomy: “Loving the Lord…means life to you, and length of days…” If we should consider this Lent message of John Paul II as a form of saying farewells and a part of the Papal Testament, then the most important sentence would be: “Human life is a precious gift to be loved and defended in each of its stages.”
With the consent of Archbishop Mokrzycki – “A place for each of us”
Znak Publisher, Krakow 2013
