I’d like to share a portion of a letter Pope John Paul I wrote to Jesus in 1974.
“Dear Jesus,
I have received some criticism. ‘He is a bishop, a cardinal,” it has been said, ‘and he’s broken his arm writing in all directions, to Mark Twain, to Péguy, to Casella, to Penelope, to Dickens, to Marlowe, to Goldoni, and heavens knows how many others. But not one line to Jesus Christ!’
You know this. With You I try to maintain a constant conversation. But to translate it into letters is difficult: these are personal things. And besides, so little! And besides, what can I write to You, about You, after all the books that have been written on You!
And besides, there is already the Gospel. Just as lightening surpasses all fires and radium all metals; as the missile is faster than the arrow of the poor savage, so the Gospel surpasses all books.
Nevertheless, here is the letter. I write in trepidation, in the condition of a poor deaf-mute, who makes an effort to be understood, or in the state of Jeremiah, who, sent to preach, said to You, filled with reluctance: ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth…….
As this spectacle of people rushing to a Crucifix for so many centuries and from every part of the world, a question arises: Was this only a great, beneficent man or was He a God? You Yourself gave the answer and anyone whose eyes are not veiled by prejudice but are eager for the light will accept it.
When Peter proclaimed: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,’ You not only accepted his confession, but also rewarded it. You have always claimed for Yourself that which the Jews considered reserved for God. To their scandal You forgave sins, You called Yourself master of the Sabbath, You taught with supreme authority, You declared Yourself the equal of the Father… When they finally took You and brought You before the high priest, he asked You solemnly: ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ You answered: ‘I am; and you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ You accepted death rather than retract and deny this divine essence of Yours.
I have written, but I have never before been so dissatisfied with my writing. I feel as if I had left out the greater part of what could be said of You, that I have said badly what should have been said much better. There is one comfort, however: the important thing is not that one person should write about Christ, but that many should love and imitate Christ.
And fortunately — in spite of everything — this still happens.” — Albino Luciani, May, 1974
As was so typical for Papa Luciani, his humility shines forth in this letter. Everything I have read that he wrote is filled with this humility.
Let us tonight as we approach the Manger scenes in our churches approach our Lord with the same humility!
