Christian Living

Giovanni, Do not Take Yourself Seriously

by ThresiaPaulose varghese
10/11/17
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Today, October 11th, is the feast day of the late Pope St. John XXIII. I love this pope very much because of his simplicity and love for all. He was one of the greatest personalities of the last century. It is very interesting to know the details of his life.

A turning point in the history
The world never expected a simple villager Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli to be elected as the pope to succeed the renowned pope- Pope Pius XII, who had been the sovereign ruler of the Catholic Church for nearly 19 years. Pope Pius XII had been a great diplomat, who played a vital part in the Roman Curia and had a thorough knowledge in the church administration. He died suddenly, leaving the Catholic Church in a great despair. "Who will be next pope who can meet the challenges of the modern world?" was the question of the whole world.

The Chosen Vessel of God!
There were a lot of speculations when the cardinals assembled in conclave in October 1958. The whole world was greatly surprised when Cardinal Angelo Roncalli, already 76 years old, was elected as the pope of the changing world. How long will old man live and what can he do to the church, which was already in great troubles? Because of his age and ambiguous reputation, the world thought that he would only be a transitional pope. But he proved that he was a "chosen vessel" of God to mark a turning point in history and initiate a new age for the Church.

Cheated the world twice!
Pope John XXIII cheated the speculations of the world in two ways. First, the world thought he would live only for a short time and would do nothing in the church. But he lived longer than the expectations and did a lot in the church. Secondly,
he convened the historic Vatican Council II that has brought great hope and enlightenment to the church.

Giovanni, do not take yourself so seriously!
Humility was the greatest virtue of Pope John XXIII. It seems when he was elected pope and was much worried about how he would act to the new situation, an Angel appeared to him and said, "Giovanni, do not take yourself so seriously. You are only an instrument of God. Trust in God and leave everything to His guidance!"

Pope John XXIII influenced the whole world by his simplicity and love for others. No doubt, God took him to great heights and manifested His great glory! His life is a great guide for us all to live a stress-free life. Trust in God and lead a cheerful life!