Opening the Holy Door: Hope-Filled Scripture Reflections from St. Peter's Basilica

The Door Is Open. The Invitation Still Stands.

2025 has become a defining year for the Catholic Church--a time of grace, renewal, and profound hope. With the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica now open, pilgrims from around the world are making their way to Rome to pass through it during the Church's Jubilee Year of Hope. This extraordinary year--marked by the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, and the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope--has coincided with a striking resurgence of faith, especially among young people who are rediscovering the beauty and depth of Catholicism.

Whether you're planning to travel to Rome before the Jubilee year concludes or simply want to deepen your understanding of this ancient tradition, Opening the Holy Door invites you into a richer encounter with the heart of the Catholic Church.

In this book, scripture teacher and veteran Rome tour guide Joan Watson leads you panel by panel through the sixteen bronze images that adorn the Holy Door--each one a chapter in the great story of salvation. With prayerful insight and biblical reflection, Watson helps you see how your own story is bound up in God's ongoing work of redemption.

• Meet the angelic messengers--first in the Garden of Eden, where hope is lost, and then at the Annunciation, where God's promise of the Messiah is fulfilled.
• Return to key moments in the life of Christ, from his Incarnation and Baptism to his Passion and Death.
• Place yourself in the scene of Christ's earthly ministry, and witness the healing of the paralyzed man and the witness of the woman who anointed Jesus's feet.
• Identify with the weaknesses and foibles of Jesus's closest followers, from denying Peter to doubting Thomas and the miraculous conversion of Saul.
• Meditate on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Hope, who invites us to a living encounter with the God who loves us.
  

Whether you're crossing the threshold of the Holy Door in person or in spirit, this book is your companion for the journey. Opening the Holy Door helps you reflect on the deeper meaning of this Jubilee year and connects your faith to the people and moments that have inspired Christians for centuries.

This is more than a guidebook--it's a call to rediscover the Church's living tradition and step boldly into the renewal already underway.

Joan Watson--a Catholic speaker, writer, and podcaster--is the associate editor of Integrated Catholic Life and the pilgrim formation manager for Verso Ministries.

Watson earned a bachelor's degree in history from Christendom College and a master's degree in theology and Christian ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has worked for the Church and various religious apostolates for more than fifteen years.

She is the founder of Living 1 John 1, an online community dedicated to helping Catholics pray and love scripture.

Watson lives in South Bend, Indiana, with her husband, Kevin.

Greg Kandra was ordained as a deacon for the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2007 and most recently served as a senior writer at the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. He is the author of A Deacon Prays and writes The Deacon's Bench blog. Kandra was a writer and producer for CBS News from 1982 to 2008 for programs including The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes II, and 48 Hours. He also served for four years as a writer and producer on the live finale of the hit reality show Survivor.

Kandra has received two Peabody Awards, two Emmy Awards, four Writers Guild of America Awards, four Catholic Media Association Awards, and a Christopher Award for his work. In 2017, he was named Clergy of the Year by the Catholic Guild of Our Lady of the Skies Chapel at JFK International Airport. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maryland. Kandra cowrote the acclaimed CBS documentary 9/11. He contributed to three books, including Dan Rather's Deadlines and Datelines and a homily series. His work has been published in America, US Catholic, Busted Halo, and The Tablet. The author of six books, he has been a regular guest on Catholic radio and is a popular speaker and retreat leader.

Kandra retired in 2022 and now lives with his wife in Florida, where he serves as a deacon for the Diocese of Orlando.