Two very distinguished men

My Godson Edward Martin, Jr. sent this out yesterday. Ed is of course, the son of my sister Ginny and her husband Ed Martin.

I am posting it here because Ed in the first part speaks very warmly about a man who is also very special to me, and that would be my Dad, Philip H. McGonegal. Dad is of course the man written about in the two preceding blog posts.

Why am I posting this here? The second part of Ed's essay is all about a man who is about to be canonized as a saint in our beloved Catholic Church.

Not only would Dad be very proud of his grandson Ed, whom he did love very dearly, but I think Dad wouldn't mind at all being the lead in story to a man soon to be a Saint! In fact, I think Dad would be mighty happy.

So thank you Ed for writing so very lovingly about my Dad and your Grandfather, but also about another man whom you obviously loved very dearly. I hope your shin has healed!

Dear Friend, My grandfather gave a great deal to me. From him I learned to make a soapbox derby car. He taught me the importance of good manners, and it was by his side I learned to love baseball. Grandpa made me think I was the most important, most special boy in the world. The magic of my grandfather was that all his grandkids felt the same way. They may have learned different things from him, but he radiated the love of God so much that everything he taught me had tremendous legitimacy. To this day, I feel his influence. Another man had such an impact on me, both personally and spiritually, and on my shins. The elderly man smacked me on my leg with his walking stick. In my late 20s, I was inside the Vatican working as a special assistant to Pope John Paul II during the Synod of Bishops. The Synod lasted a month and, during that time, I had a chance to get to know the Pope. We shared meals, we attended mass. Pope John Paul was a man with a merry heart and we had a lot of laughs. He loved to tease. More than once he would say to others in our conversation "Martin is 27 years old and still in school. He is in need to a real job." One day after a meal, he invited me to pray in the chapel by belting my shins with his walking stick. He grinned "Let's go, Martin." Pope John Paul II, who will be canonized in Rome next Sunday, was an extraordinary participant in the story of man. His leadership was instrumental in beating back world communism, easily the most brutal and murderous ideology in human history. He stood athwart secularism, articulating the timeless truths of the faith. His theology of the human body reminded us of the value and dignity of life, marriages and family. He forgave the assassin who sought to destroy his body. He showed us dignity and patience in the face of Parkinson's disease. Indeed, the Pope showed us - showed me - what abiding in Christ looked like. I have been thinking about the Pope a lot this week. And thanking the Lord for my chance to know him. Like my grandfather who died long before I met the future Saint John Paul the 2nd, the Pope made me feel like I was the most important man in world. Like my grandfather, his ministry left an indelible mark for the better. All the best. Ed Martin