This suncather window is
centered on the late Pope John Paul II who in this picture is in prayer. As the
chief shepherd (vicar) of Jesus on earth, he led ChristÕs church, as he was
appointed to do as St. Peter was, by following Him. He fed and tended (guarded)
the LordÕs sheep as Jesus led him through the Holy Spirit led him. It was in
his personal and public prayer life that John Paul learned the will of the Lord
Jesus concerning the shepherding of the His Church. In is humble and faithful obedience to the will of the Lord
Jesus; John Paul served Him and His Church with great love and zeal for over
twenty-seven years. By his example in word and deed he showed us the splendor
of Truth and the Love that loved us to the end Ð Jesus Christ. He was a living
icon of the good shepherd Jesus who lay down his life for his sheep. John Paul
always pointed us to Jesus the Great shepherd of our soul Ð to pray to him and
in him and through him that he may transform us and find Joy in serving him and
leading others to him. I n
following Jesus, John Paul took up his cross everyday and in patient endurance
led us to an evermore personal and deeper love of our Lord and Savior Jesus,
who loved us to the end.
In this window
John Paul is wearing red vestments the color and sign of the Apostles and
martyrs. Just above him is the sign of the cross, which John Paul carried with
ever increasing weight and love to the end of his life, in his service to the
Lord and his Church. Above the cross is the Holy Spirit who led John Paul in
his personal life and in his Petrine ministry in the Church. To the right of John Paul are the Latin
words TOTUS TUUS, which translates into I am totally yours in reference to Mary
the Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church his body. His short consecration prayer to Mary
at the beginning of his Petrine ministry is ÒMary I am totally yours! You who are the Mother of Jesus
and our Mother, form us into the images of your Divine Son.Ó
ON the outer edge of
the window are twenty small aqua blue circles that represent the twenty
mysteries of the rosary, which is a contemplative prayer on the life of Jesus
while on earth and his glory now in heaven. John Paul called the Rosary his favorite prayer and in 2002
wrote an apostolic letter called Rosarium Virginis Mariae (Rosary of the Virgin
Mary) in which he called the rosary a contemplation of Jesus through the eyes
of Mary. In between the rosary beads are twenty two yellow orange diamond
shapes that symbolize the angels assigned to protect and inspire John Paul in
his ministry of feeding and tending the Lords sheep. On either side of John
Paul are two stars - one that represent Jesus as the bright day star that Jesus
calls himself in the book of revelation and the other represent Mary as the
bright morning star that precedes Jesus the bright glorious day star (the
Son/sun). Just below the image of John Paul are his papal shield that is
centered on the Cross of Christ on which he loved us to the end and the capital
M which stand for Mary who followed him to the laying down his life for his
friends and where he gave her to us as our mother of Jesus and our Mother, form us
into images of your Divine Son."