He Is Here – A Day of Recollection

3900 Harewood Road Northeast,Washington DC 20017

11 December, 2021

Description

Rediscover God’s Presence in the Blessed Sacrament Come and join the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for an Advent Day of Recollection at the Shrine on Saturday, December 11. Spend a few hours in silence and in prayer. Every Advent not only prepares us for Christ’s Second Coming but is also a time of preparation for Christmas, the celebration of God’s coming among us in the flesh. And this real presence of God among us is not only a historical event from two thousand years ago but is a reality we can profoundly experience every day when we enter even the smallest Catholic church. Join us for Holy Mass, Adoration, an opportunity for Confession, spiritual conversations with religious sisters, and two talks by Sr. Gaudia Skass, ISMM. The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a place of worship, religious formation, and cultural renewal to feed the minds and souls of its visitors. It is a place of pilgrimage with a first-class relic of St. John Paul II’s blood available for veneration. Through liturgy and prayer, art, cultural events, and religious celebrations, pilgrims can enter into our patron’s deep love for God and for man. A major permanent exhibit highlights significant events in the life of Pope John Paul II and his momentous influence as the spiritual father of one billion Catholics and as a world leader. From its conception, the Shrine was intended as a response to St. John Paul II’s call for a “new evangelization,” which was repeated by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. It is meant to be a place of genuine encounter with God that leads to a renewal of individuals, families, societies, and cultures — a place where God, who “entered history” (John Paul II, Homily, Dec. 24, 1999), heals and renews every dimension of human life. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the Shrine a national shrine on March 14, 2014.