Celebrating St. John Paul II Outdoors

What happens when Sunday, sunshine, and Saint. John Paul II's  Optional Memorial day coincide? 

If you're my me - and you've been promising one of your children a final romp at the beach before the weather cools too much - you make lunch after Mass, have everyone change into swimwear, pack up a few items, and head to the beach, praying a family Rosary along the way!

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Then, on the beach, some of your children play in the "lazy river"...

...while another just lazes around on a towel...

....listening to you read parts of For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II aloud.

Later, you call all your children over to where you've made a casual beachside saint day vignette using you copy of  For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II*, the Encyclopedia of Peg Saints, a St. John Paul II peg doll, a tape measure, and a bag of Dandies all-matural mini marshmallows.  

You ask your children what they can recall about St. John Paul II, add some further details, read the page in the Encyclopedia of Peg Saints about him...

...and ask who'd like to try a little challenge related to St. John Paul II before sharing in sweetness, symbolic of God's love.

Enticed by the symbolic sweetness, of course, all your children want to try the challenge.  So, borrowing from a prior St. John Paul II-related design challenge,  you explain:

St. John Paul II loved being outdoors and especially loved the mountains, which he said were "a special place to meet God".   He also said, "We can pray perfectly when we are out in the mountains or on a lake and we feel at one with nature. Nature speaks for us or rather speaks to us. We pray perfectly."  You challenge is to use natural materials you find around you to build a "mountain" that is almost 27 inches high - one inch for every year St. John Paul II was pope.  The mountain has to be able to hold our St. John Paul II peg doll on it for at least 84 seconds - one for very year St. John Paul II lived.

Then, everyone sets to work.

Some build with just rock.

Others add plant material.

Measurements are taken.

Different designs are tried.

Someone thinks he's done.

 

Official measurements are taken.

Redesigns are considered.

Teamwork unfolds.

New progress is measured.

Varied ideas are tested.
 

A simple design meets the height specification.

And, St. John Paul II (in peg doll form) meets God on the "mountain".

A team of three finishes another "mountain".

Everyone - solo and in teams  - meet success.

Then, the sweet mini marshmallows are distributed, reminding us of God's pure love shared with others.

Hoots of joy are called out.  You continue to enjoy the great outdoors with gratitude, just as. St. John Paul II often did.

Later, you all join in prayer, thanking God for the day and asking for St. John Paul II to intercede for your family and for others.

An October beach day in celebration of St. John Paul II has been a blessing!

*Note: When I was putting this post together, I noticed that there are copies of  For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II selling for just a penny right now.  So, if you've been thinking about getting a copy, now's the time!

St. John Paul II, pray for us.