A Great Gift

The Church has received the Eucharist from Christ her Lord not as one gift – however precious – among so many others, but as the gift par excellence, for it is the gift of himself, of his person in his sacred humanity, as well as the gift of his saving work.

Saint John Paul II wrote these words in Ecclesia de Eucharistia, which was issued on Holy Thursday of 2003. In this, his final encyclical, he reflected upon the greatness of the gift of the Eucharist.

Nourished by the Father’s daily bread, St. John Paul II made immense sacrifices until his death in 2005. Through the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease, old wounds from the assassination attempt, multiple surgeries, and the loss of his voice, he continued to make a gift of himself to his flock, for “he loved them to the end” (John 13:1).

On the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast introduced to the Church by the sainted pontiff himself, St. John Paul II told those close to him: “Let me go to the Father’s house.” That very day, the late Holy Father joined the God of love and mercy in heaven.

Pilgrims journeying through our permanent exhibit will have the opportunity to experience those final moments in St. Peter’s Square where the world kept vigil for their Shepherd, and where hundreds of thousands shouted “Santo Subito” [Sainthood Now].

Please continue to join us here as we explore the themes of our permanent exhibit. As you learn more, prayerfully consider a pilgrimage to see these themes come to life yourself.

St. John Paul II, Pray for Us!