"If It's Just A Symbol, To Hell With It"
Recently U Tube, a Google-owned enterprise, has been allowing the posting of videos of individuals desecrating the Eucharist. This has created a major flurry of letters , e-mails and appeals to U Tube to remove these offensive videos. Initially they claimed they would and the videos were removed for one day, 10/1, then re-appeared. This fueled even more vitriol and others chimed-in and starting posting their rants against the Eucharist.
As appalling as this is, it reinforces to me that at some level, these poor souls recognize the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. At some level they must believe this. Otherwise they wouldn't go to such lengths to offend the God of the Universe. What better way to take out your long-nursed grudge against God for not answering your prayers, or taking away a loved one or_________... (fill in the blank) You can't get any closer to God on this side of the veil than through the Eucharist! Also a satisfaction apparently is gained from the desecrator in realizing what an offense this will be to Catholics.
Yes, I am appalled and outraged, but at the same time encouraged by the fact that Satan doesn't waste his time on desecrating mere symbols, or even a bible which contains the Word of God. When the attacks come from the dark side, they aim for the source and summit of our faith, the Eucharist, the perfect sacrifice re-presented on all the altars of the world residing in all the tabernacles in every Church until the end of time.
Oh, now back to the title of this blog post, I almost forgot! Catholic writer Flannery O'Connor wrote in a letter in 1955:
"Well, toward morning the conversation turned on the Eucharist, which I, being the Catholic, was obviously supposed to defend. Mrs. Broadwater said when she was a child and received the host, she thought of it as the Holy Ghost, He being the most portable person of the Trinity; now she thought of it as a symbol and implied that it was a pretty good one. I then said, in a very shaky voice, Well, if it's a symbol, to hell with it.
That was all the defense I was capable of but I realize now that this is all I will ever be able to say about it, outside of a story, except that it is the center of existence for me; all the rest of life is expendable."
I can't say Amen enough to that!
Let's all pray for the poor souls desecrating the Eucharist with this prayer of Reparation:
O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners.
Sign an On-line Petition to remove these Desecrations here.
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 7:05 PM
5 Comments:
Good point, why go through the trouble of desecrating a mere symbol. I've heard about these videos on You Tube, and my husband and I were talking about it just today. Neither one of us can bring ourselves to actually view the videos for ourselves. The thought just makes me terribly sad.
I find myself thinking of how the neighbours of Noah must have mocked him as he was building the ark. Until the rains started and then it was too late.
I pray they repent because it isn't going to be a pretty sight on the last day.
Thank you TJ for posting this by Flannery O'Connor! So true. I was thinking that, too, about the vileness coming from certain ex-Catholic celebs who've been on the talk show circuit spewing hatred toward Catholics, Catholicism and Christianity in general. We've seen one rather vociferous soul recently proudly giving himself accolades for his new movie, that shall go unnamed here.
They too, like the ones posting blasphemous videos are angry and can only resort to their vehement rhetoric because they're trying to rationalize and justify their leaving the Church and living hedonistic lives. It is very sad indeed and I pray for them, too. A wonderful prayer for reparation, TJ. This is the day of the 91st anniversary of the miracle of the sun and the messages of Our Lady of Fatima came to an end on this date. The more vile the assaults on the Catholic faith, Church and Our Lady and the Eucharist get, shows us how we, still sinners, too, need to pray rosaries for "poor lost souls" who've truly lost their way having chosen the more sensual, carnal and broad road. I was on that road for a long time myself, and though never had contempt and hatred for the Church, I certainly was not honoring the Lord by many of my sinful choices either. There but for the grace of God....
I owe my breath today to Divine Mercy. We must pray pray pray and do penance, for I do believe a suffering like we've never seen or experienced in this country is soon to come, as warnings increase. I pray we all heed them. Lord have mercy.
I cannot view the videos, but join you in praying against the desecration and the conversion of all those who "don't know what their doing."
I'm not a Roman Catholic, and I don't know what I believe about transsubstantiation, but I am certain that Jesus Christ is literally present in the eucharist in a unique way--which is very different from the tradition I was raised in which definitely sees communion as a symbol only. I wrote about it recently, and how it has finally made Christianity fall into place for me, at Into the Hills, a group blog where I am a contributor.
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