Worth Revisiting-The Story of St. John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope

As a backdrop, I would be remiss if I also did not share the infinitely amusing ways God continues to make his presence known in my life and how I obtained my current copy of this book.  To my delightful surprise one Sunday, the Pauline sisters visited my home parish of St. Peter’s in Plymouth. After mass, I hurriedly ran downstairs to peruse the numerous collections to be had.

Let’s be honest, the gracious invitation of our sisters and my passion for books are two areas in my life that I find great difficulty saying “no” to.

Having spied this book, my husband saw the gleam in my eyes and knew he would not be leaving church empty handed. However, having only had it in my possession for less than a day, I felt compelled to share it with a friend and her daughter.

Oh yes it had found a home and the then 8 year old girl, who was to make her First Communion soon, was reading it every night!   So, while I explained to my hubby where our newly acquired copy went, I knew God had a plan of replacing the book one day.  Skip forward 10 months, and I now have my own copy again courtesy of A Seeking Heart radio show with Allison Gingras  and Pauline Books & Media along with an invitation to write a review. This I do joyfully, with a desire to share what I feel will become a treasure in the hearts of your family as well.

            In this story is woven the early childhood of Karol Wojtyla and his response to the burning question of God’s calling in his life to answer who he truly loves most of all. Though each loss of those dear to him left his heart aching, there was also joy in a growing awareness of the great things God was beckoning him to do and to be. Each of us, within our own vocations as single, married or religious is also asked to reply to God’s great gift of love in our own lives. Beautifully this story underscores that a profound love of God does not mean that our love for others is diminished, but magnifies our ability to love and express that love more fully. Captivating and exquisitely illustrated,  A Boy Who Would Become Pope is a stirring glimpse into the young inner life of John Paul II and a challenging proposal to seek God’s love in all that we do.

Peace,