Pope’s thanksgiving Mass for St. John Paul II

May 05, 2014 - ‎Pope Francis paid homage to his predecessor St. John Paul II on Sunday, saying, like the first Pope, St. Peter, he was a true stone anchored in the great Rock of Christ. The Pope celebrated a thanksgiving Mass, Sunday morning, in Rome’s St. Stanislaus Church, for the sainthood of Pope John Paul II, whom he declared saint along with Pope John XXIII a week earlier on April 27. The parish of the city’s Polish community, St. Stanislaus Church was visited more than 80 times by St. John Paul II. In his homily at the thanksgiving Mass, Pope Francis recalled the trials of the Polish people saying they know that in order to enter into glory they must pass through the passion and the cross, a path which their worthy fellow Pole, St. John Paul II followed. He never lost this hope, because his faith and hope were fixed on God. Reflecting on Sunday’s Gospel about Jesus appearing to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, the Pope recalled the teaching of John Paul II saying we are travelers not wanderers, pilgrims not vagabond, because we know where our destination is. "We too can become 'resurrected pilgrims', if his word warms our heart, and the Eucharist opens our eyes to the faith and nourishes us in hope and charity. We too can walk alongside their brothers and sisters who are sad and desperate, and warm their hearts with the Gospel, and break the bread of brotherhood with them".