Pope St. John Paul and the Eucharist Inextricably Linked
On April 27, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the canonization of Pope St. John Paul II. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a decade since the beloved pontiff, along with Pope St. John XXIII, was raised to the dignity of the altar.
As we reflect on these 10 years of Masses in his honor and intercessions and supplications to his heavenly friendship, it would be a noble thing for us to highlight one of the central aspects of Pope John Paul’s teachings and spiritual legacy to humanity and the Church.
The heart and soul of John Paul was his profound relationship with the Lord Jesus, which was seen and lived by his intense and passionate love for the Lord’s Eucharistic Presence. In many respects, the life of John Paul was a life lived in the intervals between the offering of the Mass and his time before the Blessed Sacrament. The man’s entire life was focused on Jesus Christ, which meant it was always focused on the Eucharist.
Countless stories are told of his devotion to the Eucharist.
One such story recounts how his personal staff were looking for him in the Apostolic Palace and grew alarmed when they couldn’t find him. They had checked the chapel but he wasn’t there, or so they thought. Only after a few other sweeps of the palace did an aid actually walk into the chapel, rather than just opening the door and visually scanning the room. When the person walked into the chapel, he discovered the Pope lying prostrate, arms extended in cruciform, and in deep contemplation before his Eucharistic Lord.
As we observe a National Eucharistic Revival in the United States and prepare for a national Eucharistic Congress in June, it’s timely and providential for us to consider John Paul II’s love and teachings on the Eucharist. Pope St. John Paul II’s love for humanity, his reverence for human dignity, his admonitions to protect universal human rights, his expectation of virtue and holiness among the children of God, and his constant call for unity and peace were all inspired, grounded, and sustained by his firm and unequivocal belief and love for the Lord Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, as well as the constant sense of awe and hope that he received and lived by on account of his being such a faithful adorer of the Eucharistic Lord. The Pope’s Masses, Holy Hours and extended time before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration were his source of strength and perseverance.
If John Paul had not been so devoted to the Eucharistic Lord, the Lord would not have been able to do such miraculous and world-changing things through him. If there had been no Eucharistic devotion in the man, then there would never have been a Pope St. John Paul II.
From the beginning of his pontificate, he directed the Church to her Eucharistic Lord. The love and homage of the man for the Blessed Sacrament wanted to yell from the rooftops, “The Lord is with us! Trust in him. Be not afraid!”
