One of the last acts of Pope John Paul II's life was to receive Holy Communion - it was his Viaticum, the food for his final journey. He managed to say his final 'Amen' as he received the Lord - a mightly 'Amen' - a prayer of thankfulness, a prayer of total trust in the Lord he was receiving and about to meet face to face.

The Eucharist was at the heart of Pope John Paul II's life. It is also at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI's life and ministry. In his very first sermon he urged us, 'I ask everyone to intensify their love and devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist and to express in a courageous and clear way their faith in the Lord's real presence.' Promise of Future Glory will help us appreciate more fully, understand more clearly and celebrate with deeper interiority, the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.

At the end of each chapter there are reflections, questions and prayers to help us ponder more deeply the mystery of the Lord's presence in the Eucharist. Our vocation invites us to bring to each celebration of the Mass a profound thankfulness to God and an unshakeable confidence in the Lord's abiding presence.