JPII – Access All Areas was published recently by Veritas, a project of the Irish Dominicans. The book comprises 23 short chapters which reveal in manageable chunks the thought of Saint John Paul II. What is exciting is that each chapter has been written by a member of the ‘JPII generation’. I was asked to write the chapter on John Paul II and catechesis, which was an immense joy, since I have a great love for both topics…
I just received a copy of the book at the weekend and read it on the train. It is a great read. Topics include World Youth Day, Theology of the Body, John Paul’s understanding of anthropology and women, Our Lady, work, moral theology, his Letter to Artists, and much more. I like the fact that the book is littered throughout with glimpses into the Saint’s life. So, as you’re deepening your understanding of these issues, you’re at the same time learning about a truly inspiring man.
That is the wonderful thing about the incarnational character of our Faith – what we believe becomes visible when it is ‘enfleshed’, when it moves from the realm of ideas into the realm of experience, when the ‘Word becomes flesh’. This was the wonder of John Paul II – we witness the drama of redemption in his thought and his teaching, but most profoundly in the events of his life. This is what a Saint is – one in whom the mystery comes truly alive.
