DEDICATION OF THE ALTAR REDEEMER OF MAN CHURCH · DEDICATION OF THE ALTAR FOR THE REDEEMER OF MAN...

DEDICATION OF THE ALTARFOR THE

REDEEMER OF MAN CHURCH

SAINT JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINEWASHINGTON, D.C.

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JPII Shrine Altar program_2590 Tues 10/1/15 12:47 PM Page c2

His Eminence

Donald Cardinal WuerlArchbishop of Washington

Principal Celebrant & Homilist

His Eminence

Stanisław Cardinal DziwiszArchbishop of KrakówConsecrator of the Altar

Friday, October 2, 20153:00 P.M.

JPII Shrine Altar program_2590 Tues 10/1/15 12:47 PM Page 1

Cover Image: The Wedding Feast of the Lamb (detail)


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INTRODUCTORY RITES

Entrance Hymn God We Praise You


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Entrance Antiphon

I will go to the altar of God, the God of my joy.

Greeting

Blessing and Sprinkling of Water


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Collect

Gloria Missa de Angelis and Missa in CGiovanni Paolo Cima (1570-1622)

Arr. and adapt. Peter J. Latona (b.1968)


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LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading Isaiah 52:7-10

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of himwho brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing goodnews, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “YourGod is King!” Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry, togetherthey shout for joy, for they see directly, before their eyes,the LORD restoring Zion. Break out together in song, Oruins of Jerusalem! For the LORD comforts his people, heredeems Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm inthe sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth willbehold the salvation of our God.

The word of the Lord.R/ Thanks be to God.

The Heavenly Jerusalem


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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23Jan M. Vermulst (1925-1994)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

Beside restful waters he leads me;he refreshes my soul. R/

Even though I walk in the dark valleyI fear no evil; for you are at my side

With your rod and your staffthat give me courage. R/

You spread the table before mein the sight of my foes;

You anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows. R/

Only goodness and kindness follow meall the days of my life;

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come. R/


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Second Reading 1 Corinthians 10:16-21

A reading from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians

Brothers and sisters: The cup of blessing that we bless, isit not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The breadthat we break, is it not a participation in the Body ofChrist? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, thoughmany, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf.

Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those whoeat the sacrifices participants in the altar? So what am Isaying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or thatan idol is anything? No, I mean that what they sacrifice,they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not wantyou to become participants with demons. You cannotdrink the chalice of the Lord and also the chalice ofdemons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord andthe table of demons.

The word of the Lord.R/ Thanks be to God.


St. Paul


Face of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Man


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Gospel Acclamation G MinorPeter J. Latona (b.1968)

John 10:14

I am the good shepherd, says the Lord,I know my sheep, and mine know me. R/

Gospel John 21:15-17

V/ The Lord be with you.R/ And with your spirit.@ A reading from the holy Gospel according to JohnR/ Glory to you, O Lord.

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples andeaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter,“Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that Ilove you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He thensaid to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John,do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord,you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend mysheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son ofJohn, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he hadsaid to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he saidto him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that Ilove you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

The Gospel of the Lord.R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.


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Homily His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl

Archbishop of Washington

Profession of Faith Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,the Father almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only Begotten Son of God,born of the Father before all ages.God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvationhe came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,he suffered death and was buried,and rose again on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures.


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He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in gloryto judge the living and the deadand his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son,who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sinsand I look forward to the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.


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PRAYER OF DEDICATION AND THE ANOINTINGS

Litany of the Saints

Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy.Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy.Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us.St. Michael pray for us.Holy angels of God pray for us.St. John the Baptist pray for us.St. Joseph pray for us.St. Peter and St. Paul pray for us.St. Andrew pray for us.St. John pray for us.St. James pray for us.St. Mary Magdalene pray for us.St. Stephen pray for us.St. Ignatius of Antioch pray for us.St. Lawrence pray for us.St. Perpetua and St. Felicity pray for us.St. Agnes pray for us.St. Gregory pray for us.St. Augustine pray for us.St. Athanasius pray for us.St. Basil pray for us.St. Martin pray for us.St. Benedict pray for us.St. Francis and St. Dominic pray for us.St. Francis Xavier pray for us.St. John Vianney pray for us.St. Catherine of Siena pray for us.St. Thérèse of Lisieux pray for us.


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St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More pray for us.St. Ignatius of Loyola pray for us.St. Isaac Jogues and the North American Martyrs pray for us.

St. Brother André Bessette pray for us.St. Marie of the Incarnation pray for us.St. Lorenzo Ruiz pray for us.St. Pedro Calungsod pray for us.St. Jadwiga of Poland pray for us.St. Stanisław pray for us.St. Casimir pray for us.St. Josaphat pray for us.St. Vladimir pray for us.St. Olga pray for us.St. Andrew Kim Taegon pray for us.St. Juan Diego pray for us.St. Rafael Guízar Valencia pray for us.St. Luis Batis Sáinz pray for us.St. Mateo Correa Magallanes pray for us.St. Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán pray for us.St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero pray for us.St. Miguel de la Mora de la Mora pray for us.

St. Albert Chmielowski pray for us.St. Faustina Kowalska pray for us.St. Maximilian Kolbe pray for us.St. Gianna Beretta Molla pray for us.

St. François de Laval pray for us.St. Kateri Tekakwitha pray for us.St. John Neumann pray for us.St. José María Robles Hurtado pray for us.St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pray for us.St. Junípero Serra pray for us.St. John Paul II pray for us.


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All holy men and women, saints of God pray for us.

Lord be merciful Lord, deliver us, we pray.From all evil Lord, deliver us, we pray.From every sin Lord, deliver us, we pray.From everlasting death Lord, deliver us, we pray.By your incarnation Lord, deliver us, we pray.By your death and resurrection Lord, deliver us, we pray.By the outpouring of the Holy Spirit Lord, deliver us, we pray.

Be merciful to us sinners Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Govern and protect your holy Church Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Keep the Pope and all the ordained in faithful service to your ChurchLord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Bring all peoples together in peace and true harmony

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Comfort with your mercy the troubled and the afflicted

Lord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Strengthen all of us and keep us in your holy serviceLord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Make this altar holy and consecrate it to your worshipLord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Jesus, Son of the living GodLord, we ask you, hear our prayer.

Christ, hear us Christ, hear us.Christ, graciously hear us Christ, graciously hear us.


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Depositing of the Relics Psalm 15:1-2

Saints of God, you have been enthroned at the foot of God’s altar;

pray for us to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Relics of seven saints are deposited into the altar, wherethey will permanently remain. Depositing relics within

an altar originates with the ancient Christian practice of celebrating the Eucharist

over the tombs of the martyrs.

The names of the saints are inscribed on the edge ofthe mensa of the altar, directly above the aperture

into which each saint’s relic is placed.

At every Mass when the celebrant venerates the altarwith a kiss at the beginning and end of the liturgy,

he is both expressing reverence for Christ, symbolized by the altar, and greeting the saints whose relics are enshrined therein.


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Prayer of Dedication

Cardinal Dziwisz prays in Latin that God, in his powerand mercy, will pour out his blessing on this altar, nowpermanently set aside for the celebration of Holy Mass.

Father,we praise you and give you thanks,for you have established the sacrament of true worshipby bringing to perfection in Christthe mystery of the one true altarprefigured in those many altars of old.

Noah,the second father of the human race,once the waters fell and the mountains peaked again,built an altar in your name.You, Lord, were appeased by his fragrant offeringand your rainbow bore witnessto a covenant refounded in love.

Abraham,our father in faith,wholeheartedly accepted your wordand constructed an altar on which to slayIsaac, his only son.But you, Lord, stayed his handand provided a ram for his offering.


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Moses,mediator of the old law,built an altaron which was cast the blood of a lamb:so prefiguring the altar of the cross.

All this Christ has fulfilled in the paschal mystery:as priest and victim he freely mounted the tree of the crossand gave himself to you, Father, as the one perfect oblation.In his sacrifice the new covenant is sealed,in his blood sin is engulfed.

Lord, we therefore stand before you in prayer.

Bless this altar built in the house of the Church,that it may ever be reserved for the sacrifice of Christ,and stand for ever as the Lord’s table,where your people will find nourishment and strength.Make this altar a sign of Christfrom whose pierced side flowed blood and water,which ushered in the sacraments of the Church.

Make it a table of joy,where the friends of Christ may hasten to cast upon you their burdens and cares and take up their journey restored.

Make it a place of communion and peace,so that those who share the body and blood of your Son may be filled with his Spiritand grow in your life of love.

Make it a source of unity and friendship,where your people may gather as oneto share your spirit of mutual love.


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Make it the center of our praise and thanksgivinguntil we arrive at the eternal tabernacle,where, together with Christ,high priest and living altar,we will offer you an everlasting sacrifice of praise.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. R/ Amen.

Anointing of the Altar Psalm 45:7

Dilexisti iustitiam You love righteousnesset odisti iniquitatem; and hate iniquity;

propterea unxit te Deus, therefore God, your God,Deus tuus, has anointed you with

oleo laetitiae. the oil of gladness.

Setting aside the pallium and chasuble, Cardinal Wuerl pours the Sacred Oil of Chrism onto

the altar in five crosses, symbolizing the five wounds ofChrist. Cardinal Wuerl and Cardinal Dziwisz together spread the Chrism onto the entire surface of the altar.

The Greek word “Christos” (Χριστός)means “Anointed One.” Christ was anointed by the Father

with the Holy Spirit, so that he might offer the sacrifice of his life for the salvation of all.


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Incensation of the Altar

Let my prayer come like incense before you, O Lord.The lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.

A brazier is placed on the altar, signifying that it is on thealtar that Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary is made presentanew and from there ascends to the presence of the Father; it also signifies that from the altar, our prayers ascend to

God with a pleasing fragrance. The altar itself is then incensed.

Next, the Chrism is wiped off the altar, which is covered with the altar cloth, indicating that the altar is the table from which we receive food and drink from Heaven, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Candles are then placed on the altar.

Lighting of the Altar

In you, O Lord, is the fountain of life:in your light we shall see light.

The candles on the altar are lit, showing that Jesus Christ,who soon will make himself present upon the altar,

is the light of the world, the light to reveal the Father to the nations,and the light that dispels the darkness of sin and death.


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LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Offertory Motet Locus IsteAnton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Locus iste a Deo factus est,inæstimabile sacramentum;

irreprehensibilis est.

This place was made by God,a priceless sacrament;

beyond reproach.

This motet was composed in 1869 for the dedication of the Votive Chapelin the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Linz, Austria.

Offertory

R/ May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your handsfor the praise and glory of his name,

for our good and the good of all his holy Church.

Prayer over the Offerings


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Preface

V/ The Lord be with you.R/ And with your spirit.

V/ Lift up your hearts.R/ We lift them up to the Lord.

V/ Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.R/ It is right and just.

Sanctus Vatican XVIII

Eucharistic Prayer The Roman Canon


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Mysterium Fidei Mass in Honor of the Immaculate Conception

Peter J. Latona (b.1968)

Amen Mass in Honor of the Immaculate Conception

Peter J. Latona (b.1968)


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COMMUNION RITE

Lord’s Prayer

Doxology

Sign of Peace

V/ The peace of the Lord be with you always.

R/ And with your spirit.


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Agnus Dei Missa Quarti ToniTomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)

Ecce Agnus Dei

R/ Lord, I am not worthythat you should enter under my roof,

but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Communion Antiphon

Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest

wherein she places her young: near to your altars, O Lord of Hosts,

my King and my God.


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Communion Hymn Hallowed Be ForeverMusic: Traditional Polish

The Breaking of the Bread at Emmaus


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Communion Meditation Matko NajświętszaHenryk Górecki (1933-2010)

Matko Najświętsza, do Serca Twego,Mieczem boleści wskroś przeszytego.Wołamy wszyscy z jękiem ze łzami,

Ucieczko grzesznych, módl się za nami.

Gdzie my, o Matko, ach gdzie pójdziemy,I gdzie ratunku szukać będziemy?Twojego ludu nie gardź prośbami,

Ucieczko grzesznych, módl się za nami.

Imię Twe, Mario, litością słynie,Tyś nam pociechą w każdej godzinie,

Gdyśmy ściśnieni bólu cierniami,Ucieczko grzesznych, módl się za nami.

A gdy ostatnia łza z oka spłynie,O Matko święta, w onej godzinie

Zamknij nam oczy Twymi rękami:Ucieczko grzesznych, módl się za nami.

Henryk Górecki dedicated this motet, Matko Najświętsza (Mother Most Holy), in honor of His Eminence Franciszek Cardinal Macharski,

the Archbishop Emeritus of Kraków, who was one of the founding members of the Order in Poland and serves as its current State Chaplain. Górecki was one of Poland’s

most revered contemporary composers of classical music and a member of Our Lady of Ludźmierz Council 14001.


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Most Holy Mother, to your heart,Pierced with the sword of grief.We turn with eyes full of tears,Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

Where are we to go, Mother, oh where,Where are we to look for salvation?

Do not decline our prayers,Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

Your heart, Mary, is filled with mercy,Our constant joy and consolation,In the hour of need and suffering,

Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

And at the end of our days, Mother of God,Wipe the last tear and close our eyes

With your holy hands forever:Refuge of sinners, pray for us.

Prayer after Communion

Remarks His EminenceStanisław Cardinal Dziwisz

Archbishop of Kraków


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Prayer for theIntercession of St. John Paul II

O Blessed Trinity,we thank you for having graced the Church

with St. John Paul IIand for allowing the tenderness

of your fatherly care,the glory of the Cross of Christ

and the splendor of the Spirit of loveto shine through him.

Trusting fully in your infinite mercyand in the maternal intercession of Mary,

he has given us a living imageof Jesus the Good Shepherd.

He has shown us that holinessis the necessary measureof ordinary Christian life

and is the way of achievingeternal communion with you.Grant us, by his intercession,and according to your will,

the graces we implore,through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing with aRelic of St. John Paul II


St. John Paul II and the MagiGuide Us to the Redeemer of Man


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CONCLUDING RITE

Pontifical Blessing

V/ The Lord be with you.R/ And with your spirit.

V/ Blessed be the name of the Lord.R/ Now and for ever.

V/ Our help is in the name of the Lord.R/ Who made heaven and earth.

V/ May almighty God bless you, @ the Father, @ and the Son, @ and the Holy Spirit.

R/ Amen.

Dismissal

V/ Go in peace. R/ Thanks be to God.


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Marian Anthem Totus TuusMsgr. Marco Frisina (b.1954)


Postlude Fugue in C Major Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707)

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Recessional Hymn O God, beyond All PraisingTune: Jupiter from The Planets

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)


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MINISTERS OF THE MASS

DeaconsRev. Mr. Rey Garza

Rev. Mr. Joseph Yong Pak

Masters of CeremoniesRev. Ismael Ayala

Rev. Charles CortinovisRev. Tomasz G. SzopaRev. Louis A. Bianco

ServersSeminarians of the Saint John Paul II Seminary

Students from the Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High SchoolServers of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine

LectorsJulia Bolzon

Student, Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family

Sr. M. Caterina, O.L.M.Congregation of the

Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy

Gift BearersDeputy Supreme Knight Logan & Ina Ludwig


MusiciansDr. Peter J. Latona, Director of Music

Katie Baughman, Cantor

Members of the Choir of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Fourth Degree Honor GuardDennis J. StoddardSupreme Master

Richard G. HeadFormer Vice Supreme Master

Sir Knights of Calvert Province

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe Knights of Columbus is grateful to Cardinal Wuerl, Cardinal Dziwiszand all those who contributed to the organization of this liturgy, particularlyFather Charles Cortinovis, Father Mel Ayala and Dr. Peter J. Latona.

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the UnitedStates of America Copyright 1970, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity ofChristian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part ofthis work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by aninformation storage and retrieval system, without permission in writingfrom the copyright owner.

The Knights of Columbus gratefully acknowledges the holders of copyrightwhose materials are employed in this program. God We Praise You, Springsof Water and O God beyond All Praising © Onelicense.net A-701285.Gloria, Gospel Acclamation, Mysterium Fidei, Amen © Peter Latona. Usedwith permission. All rights reserved. Responsorial Psalm © World LibraryPublications License #AL0708861. Totus Tuus by Msgr. Marco Frisina ©1997 FSP, Rome. All rights reserved.

Mass Responses from the English translation of the Roman Missal ©International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), 2010. Used withpermission. All rights reserved.

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THE MOSAICS OF THE SAINT JOHN PAUL II

NATIONAL SHRINE


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When the early Christians transitioned from eucharisticliturgies celebrated in the home to public buildings, theyimmediately recognized that these spaces could not remainas they were. Because the liturgy that unites heaven andearth is so powerful that it transforms everything thatcomes into its sphere — bread, wine, persons andrelationships — the spaces in which the liturgy is celebratedshould also be transformed to reflect this reality.

Gathering in a liturgical space, the believingcommunity enters into the mystery of Christ’s passion,death and resurrection. The Father sends the Holy Spiritupon the offerings of bread and wine, transforming the fruitof the earth and of human labor into Christ’s Body andBlood. The same Spirit descends on those who share in thesegifts, transforming them into the Church, Christ’s Body andBride. Finally, he sends this community into the world sothat all creation may be transfigured by love and thusparticipate in the Redemption.

Throughout the first millennium, Christians understoodthat a church’s walls reflect and record this multifacetedmystery. A church’s art and architecture make visible theexperience of the Church; they express the newness of lifethat Christians have received. In a tapestry of color, eachfigure calls to another, each scene sheds light on another,nothing stands by itself. The worship space “speaks” thatwhich is at the heart of the liturgy and of the Christian life:communion, or God’s very life extended to man.

If at times Christians lost sight of this powerful, unitaryvision of liturgical art and of life, the Church has nevercompletely forgotten it. Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical,Redemptor Hominis (The Redeemer of Man), presented justsuch an integrated and organic vision of Christianity to ourtime. It is our hope that the mosaics of the Saint John PaulII National Shrine will help re-propose this organic vision ofthe Church in the New World in this new millennium.


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Redeemer of Man Church

“Is it not the Church’s task to reflect the light of Christ? ...Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face.”

– John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte, 16

A luminous wall attracts the pilgrim’s attentionand invites him to enter a new space, filled with amysterious beauty. Before stepping into the church,the pilgrim is drawn to contemplate the face of JesusChrist, the Redeemer of Man. Echoing the words of St. John Paul II, an angel indicates an image that farsurpasses anything painted by human hands. It is thetrue image of God and the true image of man: the faceof the God-Man, the Word made flesh.


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In order to enter the church, the pilgrim must passthrough a narrow doorway flanked by two crosses.The passage is reminiscent of baptism, when theChristian is first plunged into the mystery of Christ’spassion, death and resurrection. In baptism, everyChristian dies to the solitary, fragmented life of anindividual doomed to death and receives the new lifeof the children of God. The newly baptized persondiscovers that he is part of an organic communion: theliving Body of Christ.


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Adam and Eve Clothed in Glory

The first image that the pilgrim encountersdepicts Adam and Eve clothed in God’s glory, just amoment before the Fall. The serpent, a fallen angel,encircles Eve’s head, tempting her to a falseunderstanding of God. “You will be like God,” theserpent hisses (Gen 3:5). Yet God, in sheer generosity,had already created man and woman in his image andlikeness (Gen 1:26). Eve’s hand is stretched out tograsp possessively a gift that can only be received.


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The Annunciation

Opposite Eve stands another woman: Mary. She,too, is listening. But instead of grasping possessively,she opens her whole being to welcome the gift ofGod’s word in the message of the angel. She receives.In this way, she becomes the true “mother of all theliving” — the ancient title of Eve (Gen 3:20). In herhand we see the scarlet thread, a symbol of her “Yes”with which she weaves the flesh of the Word.


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Cain Kills His Brother Abel

Eve’s possessive, grasping gesture is repeated by herson, Cain. Sin is the destruction of every relationshipwith God, others, oneself and creation. Man has losthis garments of glory. The fruit he has grasped becomesdeath: Cain picks up a stone to kill his brother. Abel,the just and powerless man who falls under the hand ofthe strong, is already an image of Christ.


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The Visitation

Opposite the image of the first fratricide, Marygoes to meet her cousin, Elizabeth, who is with child(Lk 1:39). The arms of both women are stretched outin welcome. The mother of Jesus hastens to aid themother of John the Baptist, and the unborn Baptistleaps with joy at the presence of the Redeemer. Thefirst fruit of the welcome Mary extended to the Wordis the encounter between these two women and theirchildren — an encounter that is a moment ofrevelation and truth.


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The Tower of Babel

Men again reach out to grasp, this time seeking tobuild an empire that will unite all the earth byeliminating differences. Carrying bricks on theirshoulders, they seek to build a city and a tower thatwill raise them to heaven. “Let us make a name forourselves,” they say (Gen 11:4). But the logic of sindepersonalizes; the more man plunges into it, themore he loses his true identity, his ability tocommunicate, his face. The imperialistic project fails.God reacts against this plan to crush diversity andconstruct a false unity. Humanity, disfigured by sin, istorn apart by division and scatters.


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The Nativity

Man sought to ascend to heaven by his own might,but the almighty God makes himself poor, and hedescends to us. In the face of the imperialistic desireto subject the world to a monolithic unity, we find theSon of God entering into the most basic humancommunion of man, woman and child. The messianicpeace announced by the prophet Isaiah becomes areality, as lion and wolf joyfully greet the Lamb (cf.11:6). The child, whose swaddling bands evoke theburial cloths that will one day bind him, is the trueunity between heaven and earth: He is true God andtrue man.


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Abraham and Sarah Welcome Three Mysterious Visitors atMamre

The tragic history of sin is a history of sterility. Onhis own, man cannot give life. Abraham and Sarahhave no child. But the God who graciously enteredinto a covenant with Abraham intervenes. Threemysterious visitors — a prefiguration of the Trinity,echoing Andrei Rublev’s 15th-century icon — appearto the aged couple at Mamre, and Abraham at lastmakes the gesture befitting a human being. Hewelcomes, shows hospitality, receives. The One Godwho is an ineffable communion of Father, Son andHoly Spirit makes a promise: Abraham and Sarah willhave a son, “and by your descendants shall all thenations of the earth bless themselves” (Gen 22:18).


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The Epiphany of the Lord

The incarnate Son of God, born into a humanfamily, is manifested to all peoples, represented by thethree Magi. Just as the star guided these true seekersof God, St. John Paul II directs our attention to theRedeemer of Man by pointing to the Mother who borehim. Mary welcomes the pilgrims, offering her son.The Son of Man welcomes man, and the Magi joyfullywelcome the hope of the nations, offering gifts thatacquire their true meaning only in the presence of theworld’s Redeemer. The Magi are enfolded in the Pope’schasuble, since the world is united to the Fatherthrough the priesthood of Christ.


The reliquary chapel provides a space of intimateencounter with St. John Paul II, in the faith to whichhe witnessed with his life. Its walls depict theLuminous Mysteries the Pope introduced into theprayer of the rosary. Together, these mysteries portraythe victory of God’s light. They illustrate how Christthe Bridegroom liberated humanity from darkness andso transformed it into the Church, his Bride.

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“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (Jn 12:24)

The divine life that Christians receive in baptismfrom the Father, through the Son and in the HolySpirit, is a life of communion. A Christian lives thislife when he allows his whole person, including hisbody, to become a gift of love. As a husk points to the“grain of wheat” that has died and borne fruit, a relicpoints to the person who has been consumed in love.Here, a vial of St. John Paul II’s blood will remind usthat the late pontiff now lives in the glorified body ofChrist; he has passed over from death to life.

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The Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 7:9-17, Rev 21:9-27)

Under the hand of the Father, the heavenlyJerusalem opens to embrace the pilgrim. Seated on thethrone at the center of this new city is its only light: theLamb. Mary and John the Baptist point to him, whilethe halos behind them remind us of the “greatmultitude which no one could number … standingbefore the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev 7:9). Threegolden mountains create a single background of light,recalling the divine communion into which allmankind is invited to enter: the life of the Holy Trinity.

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The Baptism of the Lord (Mt 3:13-17)


The Return of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32)

In solidarity with fallen man, the Son of God takeshis place in the line of sinners waiting for purification.The baptism that expresses his total humiliation forlove of man already foreshadows his passion. At themoment of his descent into the waters that symbolizedeath in order to bring back straying humanity, theHoly Spirit descends and we hear the voice of theFather.

The parable of the prodigal son who returns homereflects straying humanity redeemed in the Son. Theyounger son returns from a life of dissolution and sitsat table once again with his father.

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The Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11)


Mary Magdalene Encounters the Risen Lord (Jn 20:11-18)

The six empty jars at this wedding feast are asymbol of faith that has degenerated into a legalisticmoralism, bereft of love and joy. Mary, the Mother ofJesus, says, “They have no more wine” (Jn 2:3). At theword of the Lord, the jars are filled with water. Thewater, poured out, becomes wine, and the divineBridegroom indicates the scarlet wound in his side.The steward of the feast announces, “You have keptthe good wine until now!” (Jn 2:10). With his blood,Christ establishes the new covenant, the enduringrelationship of love between God and man.

Reminiscent of the bride seeking her lostbridegroom in the Song of Songs, Mary Magdaleneencounters the risen Lord. She looks for him in thetomb and would like to hold him fast when she findshim, but he points to the Father’s house. True love isfulfilled in knowing God the Father.

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The Proclamation of the Kingdom in the Healing of the Paralytic (Mk 2:1-12)


The Woman Caught in Adultery (Jn 8:1-11)

The paralytic’s friends dismantle a roof to bringhim before Christ, who readmits the sick man tocommunion with God: “My child, your sins areforgiven” (Mk 2:5). Focused on bodily life rather thanon the life of God’s children, bystanders murmur thatsuch forgiveness is impossible. The Lord of liferesponds to their hardness of heart: “Rise and walk!”(Mk 2:11).

Jesus kneels before a woman caught in adultery,whom others want to put to death. He writes on stoneas hard as their hearts, saying, “Let him who is withoutsin among you be the first to cast a stone” (Jn 8:7). Thewoman’s faceless accusers, convicted, walk away, whileshe is left face to face with the mercy of God.

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Jesus is Recognized in the Breaking of the Bread at Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)


Healing of the Man Born Blind (Jn 9:1-12)

The two disciples on their way to Emmaus couldnot accept a Messiah who had failed and died. Thestranger journeying with them seeks to open theireyes, and their hearts burn within them. The path ofthe Son of God is self-offering, in which the Fathersurrenders what is most precious to him into sinners’hands. The stranger gives thanks — eucharistia — andbreaks the bread. At last, the disciples see with neweyes. They recognize the Risen Lord and immediatelyset out toward the Church.

Christ heals the man born blind. Echoing the firstcreation of man, the God-man mixes the condensationof his breath and the dust of the earth to create thenew man. The new life that the blind man receivesincludes a new vision. He not only sees Christ, butsees as Christ sees; he sees with the eyes of the Son.Far from punishment for sin, his blindness was for therevelation of the glory of God (cf. Jn 9:3).

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The Transfiguration (Mt 17:1-9, Mk 9:2-8, Lk 9:28-36)

The final image, the Transfiguration, echoes theheavenly Jerusalem of the apse. In what St. John Paul IIcalled “the mystery of light par excellence,” Christ’sglory is revealed by the Father in the presence ofMoses and Elijah, before the astonished gaze of Peter,James and John. The disciples see Christ’s humanityillumined by an incomparable, uncreated light.

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He opens their eyes so that they may understand:Love is fulfilled on the path of the Paschal Triduum, onwhich he is about to embark. Humanity is meant to bepenetrated by the life of the Son, transformed by theSpirit, and so become a luminous offering to the Father.

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by Father Marko Rupnik, S.J.and Michelle Borras


THE PRACTICE OF DEPOSITING RELICS OF SAINTS IN ALTARS

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, all menand women “who die in God’s grace and friendship and areperfectly purified live for ever with Christ” (1023). TheseChristians, now in heaven, are called saints. The Catechismadds: “By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnlyproclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived infidelity to God’s grace, the Church recognizes the power ofthe Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope ofbelievers by proposing the saints to them as models andintercessors” (828).

The Second Vatican Council teaches that “the saints havebeen traditionally honored in the Church, and theirauthentic relics and images held in veneration”(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 111). A relic principally refers tothe bodies of the saints who, as distinguished members ofChrist’s mystical Body and in virtue of their heroic sanctity,now dwell in heaven. Relics may be personal remains (a pieceof a saint’s body) or personal effects (an object worn ortouched by a saint).

The veneration of relics began in the early years of theChurch in Rome, during the persecutions, when Christiansoften met in the catacombs. These catacombs housed thetombs of the martyrs, where it became customary tocelebrate Mass. This grew into the veneration of saints’ relicsand included placing relics under or within altars to bededicated. “This usage signifies that the sacrifice of themembers has its origin in the sacrifice of the altar, as well assymbolizing the communion with the sacrifice of Christ ofthe entire Church, which is called to witness, even to thepoint of death, fidelity to her Lord and Spouse” (Directory onPopular Piety and the Liturgy, 237).

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THE ALTAR RELICS OF THE SAINT JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINE

During his 26-year reign as the Successor of St. Peter, PopeJohn Paul II canonized more than 480 men, women andchildren, and beatified an additional 1,340. Inspired by theSecond Vatican Council’s teaching that all men and womenare called to holiness, John Paul II especially sought to holdup men and women from throughout the world as models forthe faithful. John Paul II himself would join this great canonof saints on April 27, 2014, less than a decade after his death.

His life and the lives of all the saints who are honored in theSaint John Paul II National Shrine should inspire us to askGod, through their intercession, that we, too, may bearfaithful and joyful witness to the love of Christ.

The two altars in the Saint John Paul II National Shrine havethe names of saints inscribed along the edge of the mensa ofthe altars, corresponding to the location of each saint’s relicwithin the altar.

Redeemer of Man Church

In his 1999 apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, PopeJohn Paul II wrote, “The greatest gift which America hasreceived from the Lord is the faith which has forged itsChristian identity. For more than 500 years the name ofChrist has been proclaimed on the continent” (14). He thenadded that the saints of the American continent are “thetrue expression and finest fruits” of this identity.

In addition to a relic of St. John Paul II, the altar of theRedeemer of Man Church includes relics of a number ofsaints who lived in the United States, Canada or Mexico.Together, they represent the “fruits of holiness [that] haveflourished from the first days of the evangelization ofAmerica” (Ecclesia in America, 15), as well as a diversity ofvocations and charisms.

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St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821) was born toa prominent Episcopalian family in New York.At age 19, she married William Seton, whosefamily owned a successful import business, andtogether they had five children. While in Italy,William died of tuberculosis. It was also in Italy

that Elizabeth Ann Seton became deeply impressed by theCatholic doctrine of the Real Presence. She was receivedinto the Church and later established a religiouscongregation of sisters in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Dedicatedto the education of children and to charity, the sisters’ workmarked the beginning of Catholic schools in the UnitedStates. Mother Seton became the first U.S.-born saint whenPope Paul VI canonized her in 1975.

St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860)was a native of Bohemia (Czech Republic) whoimmigrated to the United States while studyingfor the priesthood. He was ordained in NewYork in 1836 and later joined theRedemptorists. In 1852, he was consecrated

bishop of Philadelphia. His gift for languages also connectedhim with numerous immigrants who arrived in America inthe mid-19th century and who were greeted with rising anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant sentiment. He establishednumerous churches and contributed greatly to the growth ofCatholic schools before his death. Canonized in 1977, he isthe first male U.S. saint.

St. José María Robles Hurtado (1888-1927) wasordained a priest in 1913 at age 25. A dynamicpastor and prolific writer, he founded a religiouscongregation, today known as the Sisters of theSacred Heart of Jesus. During the persecution ofthe Catholic Church in Mexico in the 1920s,

Father Robles continued to minister to his parishioners inTecolotlán, despite governmental opposition. After his


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eventual arrest, he was marched through the streets andcourageously faced martyrdom, placing the noose around hisown neck so as to distance his captors from committingmurder. Among the 25 Mexican martyrs whom John Paul IIcanonized in 2000, six of them, including Robles Hurtado,were members of the Knights of Columbus.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was born inAuriesville, New York, the daughter of aMohawk chief and a Catholic-Algonquincaptive. Kateri lost her parents and brother tosmallpox and suffered lasting scars and visionproblems from the disease. Although Kateri’s

uncle, who adopted her after the death of her parents, wasopposed to Christianity, Kateri embraced the faith at age 20and entered the Jesuit mission at Sault Saint Louis nearMontreal, where she lived in a community of other NativeAmerican converts. She made a public vow of perpetualvirginity three years later, and died of illness at age 24.Canonized in 2012, she is the first Native American saintand is known as the patron of ecology and the environment.

St. François de Laval (1623-1708) was the firstbishop of Québec, the first diocese in the NewWorld, when the diocese included most of whatis now Canada, much of upper New Englandand all the Mississippi Valley, extending even tothe Rocky Mountains. Bishop Laval was

responsive to the pastoral needs of both the Native Peoplesand the settlers of New France. He defended NativeAmerican people from exploitation by merchants, andpromoted education, founding both a major and a minorseminary. Above all, he was a man of prayer, penance andconcern for the poor. Pope Francis canonized him in 2014.


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St. Junípero Serra (1713-1784) was a SpanishFranciscan friar whose evangelizing vision ledto the establishment of mission outposts inMexico and throughout what we now know asCalifornia. Serra first and foremost wanted tointroduce the Native American people to Jesus

Christ and his Gospel. He also trained them in farming andtextiles and advocated for their safety and enculturationamong the Spanish and other settlers. Pope John Paul IIbeatified Serra in 1988, and Pope Francis celebrated hiscanonization at the Basilica of the National Shrine of theImmaculate Conception on September 23, 2015, inWashington, D.C.

Mysteries of Light Chapel

At the center of the altar in the Mysteries of Light Chapel, inplace of St. Peter, is a blood relic of a Successor of St. Peter,St. John Paul II. Also included in that altar are relics of threefellow Poles canonized by John Paul II — Maximilian Kolbe,Brother Albert Chmielowski and Faustina Kowalska — aswell as St. Gianna Berretta Molla.

St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941) was ordaineda Franciscan priest in 1918. His ministryincluded a focus on promoting devotion to theBlessed Virgin Mary and using various media toevangelize. Arrested for his vocal criticism ofNazism, Father Kolbe was sent to the

concentration camp of Auschwitz in German-occupiedPoland. There he volunteered to die in place of a fellowprisoner and, after two weeks of starvation, was killed bylethal injection. Canonized in 1982, he is a patron saint ofthe pro-life movement as well as the patron saint forpolitical prisoners, drug addicts and journalists.


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St. Albert Chmielowski (1845-1916) wasinvolved as a young man in the 1863 Polishuprising against the Russian Empire, evenlosing his leg during the conflict. He thenstudied engineering and discovered his owntalent as an artist. Acutely aware of the material

suffering of others, he returned to Kraków and embraced thelife of a pauper, founding a Franciscan religious order inservice to the poor and needy. John Paul II, who as a youngpriest wrote a play about Brother Albert titled Our God’sBrother, celebrated Brother Albert’s beatification in 1983and his canonization six years later.

St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) was a Polishnun to whom our Lord appeared in a series ofmystical encounters to impart to her the messageof Divine Mercy, summarized by the DivineMercy image and its inscription: “Jesus, I trust inyou.” In April 2000, Sister Faustina became the

first saint of the new millennium, and John Paul II declaredthat the Sunday after Easter would be celebrated as DivineMercy Sunday.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1962) was anItalian pediatrician, a wife and a mother knownfor her holiness and zeal. Early in the pregnancyof her fourth child, doctors discovered a tumoron her uterus. She allowed the surgeons toremove the tumor but not to perform a

complete hysterectomy, knowing it would have resulted inthe death of her child. Seven months later, a daughter wasborn, and the following week Gianna died of complicationsfrom childbirth. In 2004, she became the last saint whowould be canonized by John Paul II.


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