Day 37 -- Pope Blessed John XXIII

"If we look upon the dignity of the human person in the light of divinely revealed truth, we cannot help but esteem it far more highly; for men are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, they are by grace the children and friends of God and heirs of eternal glory."

Usually the Church marks the feast day of a saint on the day he/she died, so I am actually not sure how the feast day of someone blessed gets his/her feast day. Today we celebrate one such person: Pope John XXIII who was born in Bergamo, Italy as Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli on November 25, 1881 to an Italian peasant family. As I've said before one of my dreams/wishes is to meet the pope...any pope. I just don't know how that will ever happen!

Pope John XXIII was educated in his hometown and then the Pontifical Roman Seminary. He was ordained on August 10, 1904. Right after his ordination, he was the secretary to the bishop of Bergamo for 10 years. It was during that time that he wrote the basis for his five-volume biography of Saint Charles Borromeo. He served in World War I in the medical corps and as a chaplain. After the war he became archbishop of a few cities and papal nuncio and he was made a cardinal on January 12, 1953. On October 28, 1958 he was elected the 261st pope.

He was pope for about 4 years and one of the many things he wanted to stress was pastoral duties of himself and other bishops and priests. He worked for social reforms for the poor, orphans, workers, and outcasts. He worked to build relationships between Catholics and Protestants, Greek Orthodox, Church of England, and Shinto. He wrote a few encyclicals and one of them was Mater et Magistra which advocated social reform; it was published on July 14, 1961. He also worked to save refugees, mostly Jewish people, during the Holocaust.

During his papacy he doubled the number of cardinals, by making the College the largest in history. One of the most historic events of the Catholic Church's history was begun by Pope John XXIII. On January 25, 1959 he announced his intent to call a council together to consider ways to renew the Church in the modern world. The highest point of his papacy was calling the Second Vatican Council which started on October 11, 1962. (Hey maybe this is why today is his feast day!) There are 16 documents that are part of Vatican II.

During his pontificate he beatified 2 women: Elena Guerra and Elizabeth Ann Seton. He also canonized 5 people: Anthony Mary Pucci, Charles of Sezze, Juan de Ribera, Maria Bertilla Boscardin, and Martin de Porres. He also founded 2 Dioceses, both in the USA: Baton Rouge (LA) and San Angelo (TX). There is a more complete biography of his life on the Vatican's website.

When his body was dug up in 2001, it was found incorruptible even though he had been dead for 37 years. "It was as if he died yesterday," said Virgilio Cardinal Noe, who witnessed the opening of the Pontiff’s tomb.

O Mary, 
your name has been on my lips 
and in my heart from my early infancy. 
When I was a child 
I learned to love you as a Mother, 
turn to you in danger, 
and trust your intercession. 
You see in my heart the desire to know the truth, 
to practice virtue, 
to be prudent and just, 
strong and patient, 
a brother to all.

O Mary, 
help me to keep to my purpose of living 
as a faithful disciple of Jesus, 
for the building up of the Christian society 
and the joy of the holy Catholic Church. 
I greet you, Mother, 
morning and evening; 
I pray to you as I go on my way; 
from you I hope for the inspiration 
and encouragement that will enable me 
to fulfill the sacred promises 
of my earthly vocation, 
give glory to God, 
and win eternal salvation. 
O Mary! 
Like you in Bethlehem and on Golgotha, 
I too wish to stay always close to Jesus. 
He is the eternal King of all ages and all peoples.

Amen.