The first time I saw him in
person was in 1979. I was living in Berlin
at the time and travelled to Italy in holiday
with a friend. On our
first day in Rome, we decided to go to St. Peter's just to see if we
could figure out how to get there. Our plan was just to find it and
then to to back on Wednesday when we could hear the Pope's general
audience. When we got to the
square, an audience was underway. We were
thrilled to have happened upon something happening. When it ended, John
Paul II got into his jeep and was driven slowly around the square to
bless the people. This was in the days before the assasination attempt
so there was no glass, just a bar he held with one hand in case they
hit a bump. He passed about 15 feet from me and his love & energy
was AMAZING. I'll never forget that.
Years later, 1995 I think, I saw him when he came to Baltimore.
Although I was quite far away, his love & energy had not dimmed.
One had the feeling that he had traveled all that way just to see
oneself. That is the power of being a vessel for the love of Christ. He
reflected Christ's love for each person and we felt it.