The Pilgrim's Way: The Life Of Saint John Paul II

Today is the feast of Saint John Paul II! If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, please consider joining us for our celebrations this evening. Whether you are able to join us or not, we invite you spend a few moments of this joyous day reflecting upon the pilgrimage we’ve been hosting here on Open Wide the Doors.

We’ve walked through each of the nine galleries of our permanent exhibit, A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II, so that you can get a taste of the spiritual and informational journey that awaits you here at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. At the conclusion of the exhibit, a timeline wall of poignant large scale images leads visitors through significant moments in the life and papacy of St. John Paul II, beginning with his birth in 1920 and ending with his death in 2005.

Pilgrims look back on the late Holy Father’s growth in holiness and sanctity throughout his life. They remember the dark world that he grew up in, and how he shone as a light in the world amidst many challenges and much suffering.

Holy Family Of Nazareth

The Holy Family (Madonna Benson), Giorgione, 1500

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendor of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may the Synod of Bishops

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God's plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

-Pope Francis

The Pilgrim's Way: The Communion Of Saints

As we prepare for the feast of Saint John Paul II, we invite you to continue on this pilgrimage through our permanent exhibit, A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II. We hope you will walk through each of the nine galleries with us, so that you can get a taste of the spiritual and informational journey that awaits you here at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.

This week we will explore the ninth gallery: The Communion of Saints. After learning about the canonization of John Paul II, pilgrims in this gallery find themselves drawn to the lives of many other saints.

As the late Holy Father often reminded us, every person is called to holiness, or to loving union with God. The saints of the Church live out this “universal call to holiness” in many unique ways. St. John Paul II saw evidence of this in every land, in every age group, and in every culture.

5 Ways To Prepare For The Feast Of St. John Paul II

On Thursday, October 22^nd, the Church will celebrate the feast of Saint John Paul II. In order to honor our beloved Holy Father, we’ve come up with some ways to prepare for this special day.

1.   Pray

There is no better way to prepare for St. John Paul II’s feast than by opening ourselves to the Lord in prayer. One idea is to join us in nine days of prayer, seeking the late Holy Father’s intercession for a particular intention. We will begin praying this novena tomorrow. You can also prepare by praying the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, or by attending daily Mass. It is through prayer that God is able to draw close to us, and because St. John Paul II is present in heaven with the Father now, prayer is our best chance of drawing closer to our beloved Holy Father. 

2.  Fast

St. John Paul II once said that, “prayer acquires power if it is joined with fasting.” Consider fasting in preparation for the great saint’s feast. Give up sweets, meat, or perhaps different forms of media, like Facebook or TV shows. Making some small sacrifice is a powerful way to prepare our hearts for the festal celebrations.

The Pilgrim's Way: A Great Gift

As we prepare for the feast of Saint John Paul II, we invite you to continue on this pilgrimage through our permanent exhibit, A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II. We hope you will walk through each of the nine galleries with us, so that you can get a taste of the spiritual and informational journey that awaits you here at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.

This week we will explore the eighth gallery: A Great Gift. This gallery covers the end of St. John Paul II’s life, and it invites pilgrims to reflect on two themes in his teachings: the gift of the Eucharist and the renewal of the priesthood.

The Eucharist is the greatest of gifts, for through it the Incarnation is made present to all mankind. It is the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Connected with this, is the gift of the priesthood. Priests give up everything for the Gospel, and so the priesthood is a form of union with Christ's sacrificial gift of Himself to the Church and to the world.

Papal Intentions For October

As the month of October begins and things settle down after Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S., let us remember the Holy Father’s intentions in our prayers.

His universal intention is that “human trafficking, the modern form of slavery, may be eradicated.”

Pope Francis also asks us to pray that, “with a missionary spirit the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel to those who are still awaiting it.”

So let us join Pope Francis this month, in praying for an end to human trafficking and the mission in Asia. Let us also pray for him and all involved in this year’s Synod on the Family, which began yesterday.

Saint John Paul II, Pope of the Family, Pray for Us!  

The Pilgrim's Way: Mysteries Of Light

As we prepare for the feast of Saint John Paul II, we invite you to continue on this pilgrimage through our permanent exhibit, A Gift of Love: The Life of Saint John Paul II. We hope you will walk through each of the nine galleries with us, so that you can get a taste of the spiritual and informational journey that awaits you here at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.

This week we will explore the seventh gallery: The Mysteries of Light. This gallery gives pilgrims the opportunity to take a step back from the accomplishments of St. John Paul II, in order understand the spiritual life that inspired everything he did.

The late Holy Father’s spirituality was especially nourished by a devotion to Mary, who showed him and shows all of us the way to her Son. She reveals so much about Jesus through the mysteries of the Rosary, and so St. John Paul II introduced the "Mysteries of Light" in 2002.