Pope John XXIII (1881 - 1963) left a large imprint on the Catholic Church and on the world even though he was only in office for four years, seven months, and six days. As "the People's Pope," he had great respect for tradition but wanted to bring the church into the twentieth century without fear. He emphasized a church more catholic than Roman, one that was more caring than controlling. He ushered in an era of openness toward the modern world that was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Jean Maalouf (Mother Teresa: Essential Writings) has selected this collection of writings by Pope John XXIII and written a cogent and illuminating introduction to this volume in the Modern Spiritual Masters Series by Orbis Books. He notes that this spiritual leader kept a diary for 67 years in which he admitted his deep desire for holiness and his overwhelming response to the grace of God by living a life of humility, kindness, and service of others. On the day of his coronation, Pope John XXIII defined the way he wanted to be: "as pastor rather than as expert administrator, as priest rather than as skilled prelate, as servant rather than as politician sovereign." By convening the Second Vatican Council, he signaled to the world that the church needed a breath of fresh air or as he put it: "It is important to always keep moving and not to rest on traditional paths. We have to keep seeking new contacts, and to always be receptive for the legitimate challenges of the time in which we are called to live, so that Christ may be proclaimed and recognized in every way."
Maalouf discusses the importance of Pope John XXIII's last encyclical letter Pacem in Terris in which he outlines his vision of world peace. Maalouf concludes with 15 lessons that can be learned from this great spiritual figure, including:
• Total abandonment to God's will
• Living a life of prayer
• Being determined to be holy
• Living a life of goodness and kindness
• Living a holy optimism.
• Attaining the common good
In six sections, Maalouf captures and conveys the full depth and breadth of Pope John XXIII's spirit:
• Called to Holiness
• Transforming Leadership
• The Church in the Modern World
• Seeds for a New World Order
• Prayers and Devotions
• Selected Sayings
Here are some of the quotations from the last section:
"The whole world is my family."
"My day must be one long prayer: prayer is the breath of my life."
" 'Having nothing' yet 'possessing all things' (2 Cor. 6:10) comes true every day under my eyes."
"I really must make sure that I never tell others to do what I do not try to practice myself."
"Everything can be lost if men do not find some way to work together to save the peace."
"Human life is sacred — all men must recognize that fact."
"Every nation has its own genius, its own qualities, springing from the hidden roots of its being."
