6 years later: the death of Pope John Paul II

This Saturday, tomorrow, we celebrate the 6th anniversary of the death of John Paul II. On April 2, 2005 Pope John Paul II returned to the Father after a long and very public battle with Parkinson's disease. His death and the subsequent mourning was profoundly felt and marked across every time zone and every nation on the face of the earth. His funeral brought an overflow crowd to Rome and the eyes of the world were glued to TV coverage. Pope John Paul II was, and still is, one of the most beloved Catholic leaders of all time. Why? Because he showed us the face of Jesus in all he did; all he said and he always, always preached the Gospel, in words and actions! In this 6th anniversary we realize that we are just a month away from the beatification ceremony where we will all begin to refer to him as Blessed Pope John Paul II. Of course we also know that, if it be God's will, he soon will be a saint. I know for me personally, while I was away from the church and drifting, I remained connected to the Catholic faith as I followed every move of John Paul II. Once I full reconciled with the Church he remained a spiritual father for me, as he was for billions; yes, billions. On this quiet Friday night I ask John Paul II to pray for me and with me to the Father. It's been six years; and we still miss him.