Why did Saint John Paul II choose “Totus Tuus” for his motto?

Remembering Saint John Paul II and the 15th anniversary of his death, Pope Francis encouraged people to pray for his intercession and trust in Divine Mercy, especially during these “difficult days” of the Covid19 pandemic.

“This is one of the reasons why the epidemic is so frightening because, for so many people, faith has died. Saint John Paul II was a believer, a convinced believer, a coherent believer and faith illuminated the path of his life,” said Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica.

“We all remember St John Paul II’s last ‘Good Friday.’ The image we saw on television was unforgettable — the Pope, who had lost all his physical strength, holding the crucifix in his hands, gazing at it with pure love. “But we must prepare ourselves for that encounter, we must purify ourselves in order to be ready for it, we must cast off any reservations of pride and selfishness, so that we can embrace him who is love without shadows,” he said. The late Pope lived his suffering with this spirit, even during very difficult moments, like the 1981 assassination attempt.

Marian devotion was a hallmark of the saint-pope, so much so that “Totus Tuus Maria” (“Mary, I am all yours”) was on his coat of arms.

When asked why the Blessed Virgin was so important to the late pope, Cardinal Comastri told Vatican News, “Because Our Lady was close to Jesus at the moment of the crucifixion and she believed this was the moment of God’s victory over human wickedness”—through love — God’s greatest strength.

From the cross, when Jesus told Mary, “Behold your son,” referring to His disciple, John, the cardinal said that Jesus was telling her, “Don’t think of me, but think of others, help them to transform pain into love, help them to believe that goodness is the strength that overcomes evil.”

“From that moment on, Mary took concern for us upon herself, and when we let ourselves be guided by her, we are in safe hands. Saint John Paul II believed this, he trusted Mary, and with Mary he transformed pain into love,” he said.

Adapted from Catholic Herald