Kafka's Eucharistic Adventure Today

[kafka]

I for my part am a lowly janitor for a set of seven sister parishes and one Catholic school. This morning I was working at one of the chapels, an old neo-gothic polish chapel, preparing the place for an installation Mass this Sunday. Mass was at eight o'clock. I came in after at about 9:15 after doing some yard work, and almost immediately spotted a large piece of what I presumed was a consecrated host, in the shape of a pizza, from being broken from the large host, on an offertory type table right in front of the pews. I dont know how the Sacred Host got there, or who put it there, but I knew it must have been from 8:00 Mass.

I became irritated that someone had left, presumably, Jesus under the appearance of bread, there on a table. So I thought a few moments. I didnt know what to do, because I didnt know where the tabernacle key was nor did my boss or another co-worker who was also there. They didnt seem to want to do anything. There is no resident priest at this parish. I hadnt eaten all morning, so I decided to consume the Sacred Host. I knelt down in front of the table and prayed for a few minutes. Picked up the Host, crossed myself with it, like a priest does when receiving, and received Jesus.

Other than feeling dumb and confused, I'm glad it happened because I usually only receive on Sunday. I am not too familiar with Canon Law, but I think I did the right thing. The moral thing to do in that circumstance. And so I prayed a few more moments after receiving and went about my work. And that is my adventure!

Edited November 18, 2010 by kafka

[CatherineM]

When it comes to things like this, protect the sanctity of the host first, and worry about canon law later. I would have done the same thing.

[Archaeology cat]

I'd have done the same thing. In fact, I had a similar experience recently, in that after Mass I saw that there was a piece of a Host on the floor. The priest had gone, I think the sacristan had, too, so I consumed it. I told another priest the next day (the one presiding the previous day was elsewhere), and he told me I did the right thing.

[YMNolan]

What if the host is left in the Monstrance for Adoration and no one is there? Stay until someone comes?

[Micah]

Good on you

[reminiscere]

Technically, yes.

[quote name='YMNolan' timestamp='1290196946' post='2188071']
What if the host is left in the Monstrance for Adoration and no one is there? Stay until someone comes?
[/quote]

To the O.P. - you did the right thing.

[Sternhauser]

You should write a kid's book about your encounter with sacrilege. Something with a title like, "Why Some People Go To Hell." A pop-up book! Write a pop-up book!

~Sternhauser

[dominicansoul]

wow. i envy you. i wish I was a lowly janitor cleaning 7 parishes!!!

You did the right thing, consuming Jesus. Hopefully, the person who left Him didn't do it purposefully...but this once again shows, how careless we can be with the Most Holy Eucharist...

[kafka]

[quote name='Sternhauser' timestamp='1290834133' post='2189488']
You should write a kid's book about your encounter with sacrilege. Something with a title like, "Why Some People Go To Hell." A pop-up book! Write a pop-up book!

~Sternhauser
[/quote]
lovely.



[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1290836583' post='2189496']
wow. i envy you. i wish I was a lowly janitor cleaning 7 parishes!!!

You did the right thing, consuming Jesus. Hopefully, the person who left Him didn't do it purposefully...but this once again shows, how careless we can be with the Most Holy Eucharist...
[/quote]
I doubt you would envy me if you knew what I've found out after having been introduced into employed parish life.

Edited November 27, 2010 by kafka

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='kafka' timestamp='1290842695' post='2189527']
I doubt you would envy me if you knew what I've found out after having been introduced into employed parish life.


[/quote]

So. True.

[dominicansoul]

it can't be any worse than working in a secular office filled with nothing but women...

[LaPetiteSoeur]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1290883906' post='2189549']
it can't be any worse than working in a secular office filled with nothing but women...
[/quote]


I'm lucky because I work in a church where people get along. Our secretary has told us horror stories, though, from her old parish. She said that people's bad sides sometimes come out when they work in a church.

Also, there are a ton of worries. This month is 'diocesan count month,' ie, we count how many parishoners attend Mass. Then, you have to worry about money, and not being closed, and repairs for windows that cost $40,000 a piece.

I love my job, but Saints preserve us!

[kafka]

I had a little more severe issues in mind.

[dairygirl4u2c]

wouldn't it have been more proper to have buried it? they dispose of left over wine by pouring it down a drain that runs to the soil. they say putting it in the ground is the next best thing to eating it.
so it'd have been acceptable to bury it.
and, what if the host was not consecrated? then one would have been eating something that was just a wafer. that's a lot of faith and such wrongly being applied. if it was buried instead, there'd be no possible conflicts. (not that it'd have been a sin had it not been consecrated, given the good intentions etc, but still)

[kafka]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' timestamp='1290907410' post='2189587']
wouldn't it have been more proper to have buried it? they dispose of left over wine by pouring it down a drain that runs to the soil. they say putting it in the ground is the next best thing to eating it.
so it'd have been acceptable to bury it.
and, what if the host was not consecrated? then one would have been eating something that was just a wafer. that's a lot of faith and such wrongly being applied. if it was buried instead, there'd be no possible conflicts. (not that it'd have been a sin had it not been consecrated, given the good intentions etc, but still)
[/quote]
One cannot bury the the consecrated appearance of bread in the ground or pour the consecrated appearance of wine in the ground:

Can. 1367 One who throws away the consecrated species or, for a sacrilegious purpose, takes them away or keeps them, incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; a cleric, moreover, may be punished with some other penalty, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state.

These two acts would be sacrilegious. For the love of God Jesus Christ is really there. That is what we believe and know.

My only idea other than consuming the Host was to find the tabernacle key and place the consecrated Host back into reservation, since I did not have that option I decided to consume. If the Host was not consecrated then God would have honored it as a spiritual communion which is taught by the Council of Trent:

[2] others spiritually only, those to wit who eating in desire that heavenly bread which is set before them, are, by a lively faith which worketh by charity, made sensible of the fruit and usefulness thereof

Edited November 28, 2010 by kafka