"Be Not Afraid"

"Be not afraid!"  These were the words with which the heroic soon-to-be St. Pope John Paul II opened his pontificate.  It is an encouraging challenge, and one that -- to me, anyway -- seems very timely.  

Yesterday was the anniversary of his death.  I remember, very clearly, that I was sitting in an auditorium at Indiana University, participating in a conference on the legacy and work of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, when someone interrupted to share the news that the Pope had passed away.  He was, and remains, a hero of mine.

A number of MOJ bloggers contributed reflections on the legacy -- jurisprudential, theological, philosophical, political, etc. -- of Pope John Paul II.  They might be worth re-reading this week (here, here, and here).  And (or), it's really tough to beat Redemptor hominis (here).