Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY SEP 1, 2004

Pope John Paul II leads over one billion Catholics worldwide, but he thinks of himself as a loving father figure. In this meditative book, he invokes the titular phrase (words that Jesus Christ used in the Garden of Gethsemane to call his disciples to him) to urge readers to "go forth full of trust in Christ." The Pope describes how he himself has done so and starts this book where Gift and Mystery (1996) left off--with his ordination as a bishop in Poland in 1958. The first chapters are the most strictly autobiographical, but he quickly turns to matters of faith, discussing everything from the spiritual meaning of a bishop's miter and crosier to the need for clergy to talk with scientists and other intellectuals. Naturally, since he has served as a bishop (of Krakow, of Rome) for almost 50 years, the Pope devotes a lot of space to a bishop's duties. His discussion of these duties provides openings for him to remember important occasions in his past, such as his pastoral visit to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Later chapters deal with the Second Vatican Council, which he participated in as a young bishop. The prose style is that of a many-faceted sermon, with Biblical quotations woven throughout and themes such as the importance of telling the truth, staying celibate and giving to charity heavily reinforced. Although the book occasionally feels like a guide to the Episcopal ministry, it's sure to gratify those hungry for his instruction and inspiring faith, as well as non-Catholics interested in his philosophy.