Book Review: Saint John Paul the Great - His Five Loves

I think one of the best ways we can love someone is to desire to grow in knowledge of who they are. Although I’ll never fully know, I love trying to figure out my friends’ likes and dislikes, what goes through their mind, why they love what they love, etc. I guess it is not surprising then that in my relationship with Jesus, I desire to grow a deeper knowledge of who He is.

My first encounter with Jesus was borne out of radical decision to pray. Back then, I only knew of “God” as the “Christian deity” and nothing of the man called Jesus. I relied a lot on my brothers and sisters to learn more about God and the Catholic faith. Somewhere along the way, I realised that books on the faith are a great way to supplement my desire to know God. That which originally started from a place of curiosity has now become an integral part of my spiritual life.

I picked up Saint John Paul the Great – His Five Loves by Jason Evert at SOCL 2019 as there was much buzz from those manning the booth. The book is structured into two parts. In the first part, Evert weaves together anecdotes of JPII’s life that gives us a personal insight to the life of this great saint. In the second part, we explore the ‘Five Loves’ that JPII had, namely his love for Young People, Human Love, the Blessed Sacrament, the Virgin Mary, and the Cross.

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A deeply rooted faith

The start of the book plunges us straight into Poland to discover the roots of JPII’s faith. Through painful childhood events and the close relationship he shared with his father, we see the roots of his faith being planted. By the age of 20, JPII had lost all his family members. “The pain he encountered had opened up immense spiritual depths in him…Whereas the faith of some might have drowned under such waves of unrelenting suffering, Karol’s aloneness became a means to his holiness”. Working in a chemical plant, “his coworkers recalled how he knelt in the middle of the workplace each day to pray the Angelus. He enjoyed the night shift the most because it afforded him a greater window of silence, allowing him more time for reading or for praying the Liturgy of the Hours on his knees.”

Saints are often honoured for that out-of-the-world thing that they did. Compared to them, I am perhaps, as Father Jude says, just “a seat-warming Catholic”. But seeing as how JPII’s faith journey started out with his ordinary life sanctified through the same tools we have been armed with – the Angelus, the Liturgy of the Hours, daily mass and adoration. I grow in confidence that when I do the same with a desire for God, I too am growing towards holiness. The ways I am taught to practice my faith is preparing me for a mission beyond myself.

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Love and Responsibility

In these past two years of knowing God, I am continually learning what it means to have love at the summit of our faith. Jesus says, ‘just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another’ (John 13:34) and “love your neighbour as yourself” (Mark 12:31). This new commandment sounds so simple but in fact so difficult to live out. As I grow in my faith, I often question if I am loving the people whom I love in a way that is honourable to God. Are my relationships self-seeking ones?

JPII had a deep love profound understanding of the human person and love. An early pivotal work of his is Love and Responsibility. Evert offers us a summary of Love and Responsibility in the book. In essence, “the human person is made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore the only adequate response to another person is love. The opposite of loving is using”. Through the book, I learnt that a virtuous love for my brother or sister means moving beyond what they can do for me; to feel responsible for each another. As much as possible, I try to bear this in mind in all my relationships, especially in community.

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Eucharistic Amazement

JPII shares: “The Eucharist is the secret of my day. It gives strength and meaning to all my activities of service to the Church and to the whole world.”

For JPII, the question is not whether Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, but rather whether Catholics are truly present to God in their midst. JPII encourages the faithful to continue to meditate on the Eucharist even if, under various circumstances, one is not able to have access to the Eucharist. This speaks to me deeply as it reminds me that as I anticipate my first holy communion, my season of waiting is not in vain. I can begin to invite the Lord into my heart by meditating on the Eucharist. Meditating on the Eucharist, especially by coming into his presence in adoration and mass, reminds me of the absolute reality that I too am chosen. Seeing the Eucharist is a tangible testimony of His love for me. My life is given meaning as it is to be lived as a response to this great love.

Upon reading this book, my love and admiration for JPII deepened as I see how he had loved much in his lifetime. He truly lived out the Gospel: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). He is a deeply respected man and leader not just by Catholics but also by those who have yet to know Christ. As he has allowed his life to be a testimony for Christ, he is always a friend I can rely on to testify for the love of Christ. At home, where the faith is foreign and doubted. I can always say “Look at Pope John Paul II.”

- Francesca Lee