Contains a favorite prayer of Pope John Paul II: His private version -- in Latin and English translation -- of centuries-old invocations to the Virgin Mary. John Paul II, the most charismatic religious leader of our time, is a man whose actions truly reflect his beliefs. On the eve of the new millennium, An Invitation of Joy brings together a selection of John Paul's messages with the most poignant photographs documenting his life both before and after his election to the papacy. For the first time, here is an illustrated devotional keepsake album that distills the essence of his message and shows the intimate connection between his words and his deeds.

A beautiful book, coffee-table in style but smaller in format, with photographs of the peregrinations of Pope Saint John Paul II from the beginning of his papacy (and a few earlier photos) through 1999. The book is arranged in topical sections, "Family", "Women", etc. Each section is introduced with an editorial precis of the pope's teaching on the topic and quotations from John Paul II's writings illustrate the photographs and comprise the remainder of the text. ( )