John Paul II: Ordinary Holiness?
An essential characteristic of holiness is that it is extraordinary.
Contradicting himself, he then spoke of an 'extraordinary [sic] degree of fidelity to the vocation to follow Christ, to identify with him and to serve him in the communion of the Church'.
In an interview with Die-Tagespost.de, he claimed that "John Paul II was a mystic and at the same time mysticism led him to service. So it was a mysticism of service" - whatever that might mean.
Cardinal Dziwisz found this holiness also in his experience and acceptance of suffering, "and he certainly did not lack suffering" [which is common in every human life].
On the one hand, the Cardinal said that John Paul "made time for prayer", but on the other, he said that "his whole life was a prayer" - which sounds like everything and nothing.
Dziwisz was commenting on the "new evangelisation" that John Paul II repeatedly stressed during his pontificate, but which never materialised.
The cardinal also struggles to make this "new evangelisation" concrete, speaking instead in general terms of a "need to reintroduce people to the truth about God" and "to show them the fascinating figure of Jesus Christ".
He added more words: "The Gospel must be proclaimed in such a way that it reaches people's hearts and consciences" (etc.).
In all, Dziwisz spent 39 years at Wojtyła's side.
Picture: Stanisław Dziwisz © wikipedia, CC BY-SA, #newsVrzderefut