The Eucharist in the News (Again)

As Schue posted on this blog, Professor Paul Zachary Myers, from the University of Minnesota Morris, made good on his promise to desecrate the Eucharist [http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1465]. A quick Google search shows that this has caught the attention of a number of Catholics (especially in the blogosphere), but hasn't yet received much secular press. I am guessing, again, this is a result of the sensitive nature of the topic: freedom of speech and religious intolerance.

To be sure, what Prof. Myers has done is lamentable, disturbing, and hurtful. But in some way, so has the response by a number of Catholics. Myers reports receiving loads of hate mail and even death threats. And although my heart goes out to those who believe themselves to be standing up for the Eucharist (and in so doing, for Christ) and speaking out against this tragedy, I cannot endorse such a despicable response. No life is worth threatening and violence has no place (well, okay, it has a place, but only as a LAST resort in self-defense) in our faith. I can't understand the logic if those who think:

A. this man offended me
B. this makes me angry
C. therefore, he deserves to die

It's important for Catholics to hear that although such an instance might merit a dose of righteous anger, that anger need not take the form of hatred or violence. Anger can fuel action, but that action can spur positive change. There is no doubt that great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Dorothy Day were angered by what they observed in our world -- and many times, from people who stood outside their faith tradition. But that doesn't mean that they resorted to violence to make their point.

All the more, when we DO act in the name of our religion, for the sake of the Eucharist, or in defense of Christ, we need to make sure that our STYLE matches our CONTENT. In other words, we're the biggest hypocrites in the WORLD if we invoke hatred or violence in the name of our Savior who constantly professed tolerance, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and LOVE.

And it doesn't take a Scripture specialist to know what Jesus thought of hypocrites.

My friends, we have WORK to do!