Pope John Paul II

A man of simple convictions,
A man of great love and peace;
A father to the nations,
A friend now at last released.

Into the arms,
Of his beloved Savior;
Into history,
With Gods’ tender favor.

“Well done” faithful servant,
Echoes ‘cross Heaven’s portals;
As John Paul is welcomed,
By friends an other immortals.

His life was a service to God,
And to his neighbors;
To the weak and the poor,
And dearly loved unbelievers.

For he believed that all life,
Had a godly purpose;
That all life was special,
And that God was never spurious.

For he understood clearly,
The vain rantings of men;
How their popular wisdom,
Seemed to change with the wind.

But he held true to his course,
In the most turbulent times;
With God’s Word as his pilot,
And the Holy Spirit, his guide.

In faith, he stood against evil,
When it could’ve cost him his life;
And for decades and more,
He fought for what’s right.

For God was his center,
And Jesus his friend;
And the Comforter never left him,
From birth to honored end.


For he was on a holy quest,
Of nearly mythic proportions;
A man with a great commission,
Teaching truth and sacred traditions.

He knew where he came from,
And he knew where he’d go;
Secure in Christ, adored by the masses;
This humble shepherd-soul.

But now his journey’s over,
A final appointment he will keep.
A righteous servant to his Master,
In whose arms he’ll now rest and sleep.

While leaving a beautiful legacy,
Of honor and valiant grace;
That will live on beyond this tribute,
A priestly mantle so hard to replace.

We’ll miss you Holy Father,
We’ll miss your humor and your passion;
We’ll miss your concern for personal details,
And your courage to speak and take action.

But now you have fought your good fight,
And you have finished your race;
We thank you for your example,
And pray God bless you for your faith.

Via con Dios, my precious brother,
Go with God, my blessed friend.
Shalom to you my loving confessor,
Be at peace and as you always said, “Amen”.








© April 4, 2005 – All rights reserved – Use with permission only
By Kevin Rishell after being encouraged to write by his dear friend Congressman Trent Franks who will be honoring the legacy of Pope John Paul II later this week to Congress.