There are reports every so often of a thief who steals a tabernacle or a gold ciborium that contains consecrated hosts, the Eucharist. The goal of the criminals is not to use the hosts, for example, in a Satanic Black Mass, but to sell the gold for money.
In such cases the thieves will simply toss the hosts, letting them fall anywhere.
One of the most famous thefts in this regard resulted in the Eucharistic miracle of Siena. The miracle happened on August 14, 1730, and according to reports, thieves infiltrated the basilica and stole the tabernacle, which contained 351 consecrated hosts. Three days later, all 351 hosts appeared in the alms box of the sanctuary of St. Mary of Provenzano, the church where they had been taken.
From the Catechism
1378 Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession."
These acts of desecration are appalling, and we might feel that we want to strike out in rage towards whomever did such a crime.
Yet God, with his immense power, does not strike anyone down. He doesn’t send any lightning bolts to kill anyone who tosses him into the gutter.
Why is that?
A reminder of Jesus’ Passion
First of all, the fact that Jesus lets himself take on the form of bread and wine, completely vulnerable, should remind us of the event that started it all. Jesus freely let himself be executed by his own creatures.
He became like a “lamb led to the slaughter,” not putting up a fight, but simply offering himself as a pure sacrifice for our sins. While Peter took out his sword and wanted to fight his way out of the conflict, Jesus opened his arms and invited the guards to take him prisoner.
Whenever a host is desecrated, it should spark in our mind a thought about Jesus’ Passion, and how our sins played a role in Jesus’ painful suffering. In our day, it might be a thief who throws Jesus in the gutter, but we nailed Jesus to the cross. The reports of these abuses are invitation to repentance.
Secondly, the act of desecration should also remind us of God’s infinite mercy. Christina Eberle wrote about a similar case of desecration in an article for FOCUS. She focused on the immense mercy Jesus has on us:
One of those sinners he’s calling is me. When in mortal sin, the stench of my soul is just as repulsive and offensive as the blasphemous art exhibit in Pamplona [where the Eucharist was desecrated].
… And yet, even though He would be justified in striking me down, the Lord instead steps down into my stench to offer me the chance to be made clean. He treats me with incomprehensible mercy.
Whenever we hear of an act of desecration, instead of just getting upset at the thief, we are invited to turn inward and look at ourselves. We crucified Jesus and he is offering to us a chance to be reconciled with him. He has every right to strike us down, but instead he is putting his hand out towards us in mercy.
On a practical level, when the Eucharist is stolen, local Church leaders usually appeal to the thieves to return the Blessed Sacrament, even without the gold or precious medals. After all, those items can be replaced, and are nothing in comparison to the Treasure they contain.
As well, the local bishop will usually hold Masses of reparation, to give the faithful a special opportunity to express their love and devotion to Jesus, since he has been so gravely offended in their locality. The physical church and altars can also be ceremonially cleansed if there was any destruction or desecration.
