The following is an excerpt from the epilogue of Pope John Paul II's Roman Triptych Meditations:
The colors of the Sistine will then speak the word of the Lord:
Tu es Petrus—once heard by Simon, son of John.
'To you I will give the keys of the Kingdom.'
Those entrusted with the legacy of the keys
gather here, letting themselves be enfolded by the Sistine's colors,
by the vision left to us by Michelangelo—
So it was in August, and again in October,
in the memorable year of the two Conclaves,
and so it will be once more, when the time comes,
after my death.
Michelangelo's vision must speak to them.
'Con-clave': a shared concern for the legacy of the keys,
the keys of the Kingdom.
Lo, they see themselves in the midst of the
Beginning and the End,
between the Day of Creation and the Day of Judgment...
It is granted man once to die, and thereafter, the Judgment!
Final transparency and light.
The clarity of the events—
the clarity of consciences—
During the conclave Michelangelo must teach them—
Do not forget: All is laid bare and revealed before His eyes (Heb 4:13).
You who see all, point to him!
He will point him out...
1 comment:
JPII was for real as a poet. I remember reading his early poems (written in the 40s and 50s) back in the early 80s. In power of imagery, depth of feeling and lexical sophistication they're right up there with the works of many a celebrated modern poet. The guy was so roundly gifted it's almost unfair.
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