The Most Important Day Of His Life

Yesterday papal biographer George Weigel posted an article in which he reflected upon the baptism of Saint John Paul II:

…in preparing the first volume of my biography of St. John Paul II, Witness to Hope, I described the pope’s return to his parish in Wadowice on his epic first papal pilgrimage to Poland in June 1979. Stepping into the church where he had served Mass, received the scapular, and prayed daily during his youth, the 264th Bishop of Rome went straight to the chapel that housed the baptismal font and venerated the place where he had been "born again" in 1920.

Why? Because Karol Wojtyla knew that that day was the most important day of his life: the day when he was first empowered, by water and the Spirit, to become a friend of the Lord Jesus Christ and a missionary disciple. As John Paul understood it, the most important day of his life was not the day on which he was ordained a priest, consecrated a bishop, or elected pope. The most important day of his life was the day of his baptism. Everything else flowed from that, like the waters in Ezekiel’s vision, flowing from the restored Temple to renew the face of the earth.

As we enter into Ordinary Time, let us remember the mission we received in those baptismal waters: to be Christ’s disciples and to introduce Him to the world.  

Saint John Paul II, Pray for Us!

To Know The Peoples of Asia

Dear People of the Philippines,

In my desire to know personally the peoples of Asia, I wanted my first papal visit to be to the Philippines. I come here retracing the steps of Paul VI, whose memorable visit to this land is still recalled, I am sure, with love and gratitude, and whose inspiring presence still lives on in the hearts and the minds of the Filipino people. I come here because it is my heart's desire to celebrate with my brothers and sisters the common faith that unites the Catholic population of this land with the See of Peter in Rome. At the same time I mention with satisfaction and pleasure the friendly relations between the Philippines and the Holy See. These relations are indeed a worthy expression of the special affection of your people for the Bishop of Rome.

The Philippine nation is deserving of particular honor since, from the beginning of its Christianization, from the moment that Magellan planted the Cross in Cebu four hundred and sixty years ago, on April 15, 1521, all through the centuries, its people have remained true to the Christian faith. In an achievement that remains unparalleled in history, the message of Christ took root in the hearts of the people within a very brief span of time, and the Church was thus strongly implanted in this nation of seven thousand islands and numerous tribal and ethnic communities.

           

The rich geographical and human diversity, the various cultural traditions, and the people's spirit of joy and sharing, together with the fruits of the missionary efforts, have successfully blended and have shaped, through periods which were sometimes not devoid of shadows and weaknesses, a clear national identity that is unmistakably Filipino and truly Christian. The attachment to the Catholic faith has been tested under succeeding regimes of colonial control and foreign occupation, but fidelity to the faith and to the Church remained unshaken and grew even stronger and more mature.

-Saint John Paul II, Message to the People of the Philippines

St. John Paul II, please pray for the Church, especially for Pope Francis and his apostolic journey to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Renewal

In this gallery of our new exhibit, we have an exact replica of the Holy Doors in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ's power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows “what is in man.” He alone knows it.

-Saint John Paul II, Homily for Inauguration of Pontificate

As he took the Chair of Saint Peter, Saint John Paul II asked all seekers, all faithful, and all doubters to listen to the words of St. Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). 

As the new Successor of Peter, John Paul II challenged all present to renew their faith in Jesus, who alone has the words of eternal life. As light comes out of the darkness, John Paul II rose out of communist Poland in order to point the entire Church beyond their fears and back to Jesus.

As visitors to our exhibit walk through the doors pictured above, we pray that they heed St. John Paul II’s call to cast all fears aside and open wide their hearts to Christ.

Please join us here in the coming weeks as we continue to explore the themes of our permanent exhibit. As you learn more, prayerfully consider a pilgrimage to see these themes come to life yourself.

St. John Paul II, Pray for Us!

A Land Of Saints

I joyfully recall my previous visits to France and gladly take this opportunity to pay homage to the great patrimony of culture and faith which have marked her history. I cannot fail to mention the great Saints who came from this land, the outstanding masters of Christian thought, the schools of spirituality and the many missionaries who left their homeland in order to carry throughout the world the message of Christ the Lord. And I look with confidence to the Christian community of today, which generously takes up the call to enrich our own times with the wisdom and hope that come from the Gospel.

-Address of Saint John Paul II to the President of France, 2004

We join the French people in solidarity and prayer today.

St. John Paul II, Pray for Us!

Light In Darkness

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

-1 John:5

The first part of our new exhibit, A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II, can be surprising for some of our visitors. Saint John Paul II was a great lover of humanity, even though, as our exhibit shows, he experienced humanity at some of its darkest hours.

As a child, John Paul II was known as Karol Wojtyła. Born in Wadowice, Poland in 1920, young Karol lost both of his parents and his two siblings by the time he was 21. Amidst the losses he suffered, Karol grew up in a world in which his faith, his culture, and his freedom were all under attack. The Nazis occupied his country until he reached adulthood. Once they were defeated, the Soviet Union took over.

Throughout this time, Wojtyła flourished. Studious, athletic, and artistic, he did not allow outside forces to quell the love inside of him.  Sustained by his family, friends, and faith, he instead lived as a light to others. The shadows of the 20^th century did not keep him from his vocation to the priesthood, they did not keep him from nourishing his flock in Poland, nor did they keep him from bringing his love for the human person to the Second Vatican Council.

I Have Looked For You

The gifts under your tree may be gone, but the spirit of Christmas continues as the Church prepares to celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. We remember the magi of the east who travelled a great distance in order to adore the Christ child and present Him with gifts of great value.

In a 1979 address to young people, Saint John Paul II suggested that each person learn from the pilgrim kings, adopting the same attitude of adoration and giving. The late Holy Father said:

…modern man—the modern youth—meets God when he opens up to him with the interior gift of his human “ego,” to accept and reciprocate the immense gifts which he bestowed, in the first place: the gift of existence, the gift of the Redemption, the gift of the Faith.

All that is in us as persons is given to us by God, and here John Paul II encourages us to give it all back to the Father who loves us. Here, at the beginning of his pontificate, he spoke of life as a gift of love. In his humility, St. John Paul II probably didn’t know that his own life would be held up as model of how this can be done.

Through a series of posts here on Open Wide the Doors, we will begin to explore the themes present in our exhibit on the life and legacy of the late Holy Father. Titled A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II, the 16,000 square foot exhibit inspires pilgrims to learn more about the great saint and to imitate his life of gift.

Mother Of Peace, Pray For Us

On this Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Church prays for peace throughout the world. In his message for the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis asks all people of good will to pray especially for enslaved men and women, whose fundamental rights are suppressed and abused.

The Holy Father calls us “to forge a new worldwide solidarity and fraternity” with those who live clandestinely:

I invite everyone, in accordance with his or her specific role and responsibilities, to practice acts of fraternity towards those kept in a state of enslavement.  Let us ask ourselves, as individuals and as communities, whether we feel challenged when, in our daily lives, we meet or deal with persons who could be victims of human trafficking, or when we are tempted to select items, which may well have been produced by exploiting others.  Some of us, out of indifference, or financial reasons, or because we are caught up in our daily concerns, close our eyes to this.  Others, however, decide to do something about it, to join civic associations or to practice small, everyday gestures—which have so much merit!—such as offering a kind word, a greeting or a smile.  These cost us nothing but they can offer hope, open doors, and change the life of another person who lives clandestinely; they can also change our own lives with respect to this reality.

Let us open our eyes to the exploitation of the enslaved, and let us answer Pope Francis’s universal prayer intention this month, by working together with others for peace.  

Oh Mary, who gave birth to Peace Himself, please bring peace to all of those who do not live in freedom.