Today, May 4th, is the Feast of the Shroud of Turin. This feast day, while not as popular as some other Catholic feast days in the U.S., is widely celebrated across parts of the world (especially in Portugal).

According to the National Catholic Register, Pope Julius II approved the feast in 1506, and Catholics have continued to honor the Shroud since. In 1998, Saint Pope John Paul II venerated the Shroud during its public exhibition.

Today, many churches (including my own) display an image of the Shroud in the sanctuary; in our case, the Shroud image is hung above the confessionals, a powerful reminder that Jesus died for us and our sins.

But while a feast day is always a cause for celebration, the reality of the Shroud and the image of Jesus deserves to be honored every day of the year. If these really are miraculous, inexplicable images, then we should be encouraging a constant devotion to them!

Without further ado, here are 3 ways that you and your family can honor Jesus’ Shroud all year long.

1) Learn more about the Shroud of Turin and the research (still) being done on the relic

Did you know that there is a specific branch of science dedicated to studying the Shroud? It’s called “Sindonology,” and teams of researchers are constantly looking further into the history and creation of the Shroud. People began studying the Shroud in earnest in 1898, and it has continued to the present day.

As Catholics, we should keep ourselves updated about such news! While the Catholic Church does not decree that we *must* believe in the Shroud’s authenticity, you will find that the evidence in its favor is overwhelmingly convincing. For instance, Father Dwight Longenecker talks about his belief in the Shroud here. Also, the National Catholic Register also published this piece on the facts of the Shroud, and Father Robert Spitzer also talks about the Shroud’s authenticity here.

Movies like Shroud are great overviews of the subject and are available on Formed.com (most parishes have a subscription where you can watch for free). This was the official film for the 2010 Exposition of the Shroud!

Watch the documentary as a family…teens will especially benefit from it! Young adults are captivated by the reality of the faith…they want to explore all the depth, intricacy, and logic behind the Catholic Church. Stories of modern saints like Pier Giorgio Frassati and unexplained miracles like the Shroud are sure to engage their hearts and minds.

Also, check out the book Witness to Mystery. It is filled with full-color photographs and descriptions of the Shroud, the Crown of Thorns, the True Cross, the Pillar of Scourging, and many more religious mysteries. Put the book on your coffee table, where your kids and guests can leaf through at their leisure!

2) Venerate the Shroud of Turin (and the Veil of Manoppello) through images in your home

What does the Veil of Manoppello have to do with the Shroud of Turin? Well, in John 20: 6-7 (RSV), Scripture describes how “Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.”

The napkin refers to the traditional cloth, separate from the burial Shroud, which covered the face of Jesus….this is the Veil of Manopello, which carries another miraculous image on its fabric!

You can read more about the Veil in this blog post. As we found out, the Veil of Manoppello and Shroud of Turin perfectly match one another when layered! And the Divine Mercy Image (as related by Saint Faustina) also seamlessly fits onto the same images.

As this book describes, the Veil of Manoppello inspired Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to write his bestselling “Jesus of Nazareth” series! In addition, Catholic saints and religious orders have been venerating the Holy Face of Jesus for centuries!

St. Therese, one of the most beloved saints of modern times, took the full name of St. Therese of the Holy Face of Jesus in Carmel. She had an image from the Veil of Veronica which hung in her cell, and she prayed with it every day. What better example for us and our families?

Good news: Your family can also venerate these images in a unique way in your own home. Pre-orders for the “Face of God” canvas print are going strong, and they won’t last long.

Like so many of the saints, you can now hang the Holy Face of Jesus on your wall…enter into deep prayer and meditation as you read the Bible, sing Morning Prayer, or pray the Litany of the Holy Face of Jesus as a family. Even simply walking past the Holy Image during day-to-day activities is a powerful reminder to direct all our actions to God’s greater glory.

3) Learn and practice the corporal works of Mercy (like Joseph of Arimathea did in the Gospels)

In each of the 4 Gospel accounts (RSV), we hear about Joseph of Arimathea and the Shroud;

Matthew 27: 57-60: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe’a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.

Mark 15: 43-46: Joseph of Arimathe’a, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. And he bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

Luke 23: 50-56: Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe’a. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

John 19: 38-42: After this Joseph of Arimathe’a, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. So he came and took away his body. Nicode’mus also, who had at first come to him by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Like Joseph, we can care for the living and the dead through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Of course, your family can travel to distant places and help strangers, but you can also practice them by simply helping siblings, children, or your spouse around the home.

Brainstorm with your family how you can be more like Joseph of Arimathea, who gave up his private tomb for our Lord (risking ridicule and danger to help bury Him).

Your family could visit a cemetery, and pray for the souls buried there. You could also ask your children to go through their toys, and donate an item or two that they no longer need (or that someone could use more than them).

This activity book and card game are great ways to engage very young children in the Works of Mercy. Learning about saints like Mother Teresa of Calcutta also teaches children about real-life examples of the Spiritual and Corporal works.

And there you have it…3 ways to increase your family’s devotion to the Shroud of Turin all year long. Whether through study, prayer, or action, know that we at Holy Heroes are learning and growing in faith right along with you!

May God bless you on this Feast of the Shroud and always!