"Be not afraid!"

Image link from Catholic Forum

So much is being said about Pope John Paul II's impact on the world and on individual souls. His growth to maturity in Poland at the time of Nazi oppression, followed by Communist oppression, steeled his spiritual character for his call to service in the Church, climaxing in his world changing papacy.

JPII catalyzed the spirit of the people living under Communism and lead to the mostly peaceful manor in which that deeply flawed system fell in much of the world. His challenge to the whole world, in particular our 'liberal' western societies, lives on. As President Bush said today:

Pope John Paul II left the throne of St. Peter in the same way he ascended to it -- as a witness to the dignity of human life. In his native Poland, that witness launched a democratic revolution that swept Eastern Europe and changed the course of history. Throughout the West, John Paul's witness reminded us of our obligation to build a culture of life in which the strong protect the weak. And during the Pope's final years, his witness was made even more powerful by his daily courage in the face of illness and great suffering.

The Holy Father not only challenged societies to live up to what they should be, but also for individuals to have hope, to overcome weakness and sin, and to draw closer to God.