The Eucharist in the News

Some of you may have heard the Eucharist has been in the news lately.

A few weeks back, on the campus of the University of Central Florida, a student walked out of Mass and held a host hostage for several days. Paul Zachary Myers, a professor at the University of Minnesota-Morris, is outraged at the anger this incident incited and just last week, published a post on his website (which you may access from the University of Minnesota-Morris website) in which he has pledged to desecrate the Eucharist, if he can get his hands on a host.

[For those of you who missed these stories, this article sums it up: http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1459].

This is surely a tragic story -- both that people feel compelled to hold the Eucharist hostage or wish to desecrate it. And although it seems to me that any desire to damage, disparage, or dishonor the Eucharist is cause for a dose of righteous anger, bigger questions are at issue here.

Catholics believe the consecrated host to be the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. The institution narrative of the consecration hearkens us back to Jesus' own words the night he was betrayed, "This is my body ... This is my blood ... Take this all of you and eat it (or drink it) ... Do this in memory of me." Obviously, then, the Eucharist is not only a symbol of something holy, it is, in and of itself, the Holy of Holies.

We're not sure if Paul Zachary Myers recognizes this. If he does, and he still wishes to do harm to the Eucharist, we cannot ignore or be silent about his intention. If he doesn't fully grasp the impact of his words or the magnitude of his deeds, perhaps this is an opportunity for him to better understand why Christians hold the Eucharist so dear.

This post by Paul Zachary Myers deserves a response. And not just one of anger or indignation. This is especially true because the Eucharist itself is a symbol of communion and Jesus' self-offering and self-gift, "to be given for all." It would be entirely incongruent and inappropriate to respond with violence in the name of this perfect offering, the forgiveness of sins.

This is not to say that we should not stand up for the Eucharist during this persecution. When I was forwarded this article, the first passage that ran through my mind was Matthew 10:32-33 ("Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father"). But I also couldn't help but wonder how many Catholics really believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. And if Catholics don't really believe, doesn't that, to some extent also dishonor what we say, do, and celebrate during the Liturgy? In this regard, I'd tend to agree with Flannery O'Connor, who once wrote of the Eucharist, "if it's only a symbol, then to hell with it!"

In any event, this story is important on many levels and for many people. In sum, this is a teachable moment. Not only for Catholics, about believing what we say and do at the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but also about how we treat and deal with religious symbols and rituals. Especially when we might not fully understand or appreciate what those symbols or rituals represent.

What is more, this centers around the issue of freedom of speech. When does free speech cross a line and become offensive, hateful, or even illegal? The Supreme Court famously ruled that free speech does have its limits -- especially vis-a-vis shouting "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. How do we define those limits? How do we define those limits when they deal with what people believe and hold sacred?

And then, how do we respond and proceed when such limits are crossed? Can you imagine if Paul Zachary Myers had written this about the Bible, the Torah, or the Koran? That might generate a whole lot of anger, but what good would come of it? If this is a teachable moment, then let's make sure we educate -- and not alienate -- people! The question, though, is how?

I invite your comments and insights.