I just tried to watch a part of Dutch tv program Man Bijt Hond in which a man who calls himself Catholic goes into the cathedral of St. John in den Bosch, steals a consecrated host, speaks some blasphemous words and consumes it. I say I tried, because I couldn’t watch all of it. It made my physically ill.
What started with a priest acting according to his faith has exploded into the lowest attack imaginable against the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. It is hard to remain objective in the face of such insults and blasphemies, against me as a believing Catholic, and against Jesus Christ Himself. It is so very easy and tempting to follow the same tactics, to start protesting and demonstrating, to start shouting, calling names and insulting people. But that is not what we are called to do. Like Jesus Christ who allowed Himself to be tortured and and insulted so that he could redeem all, we too must remain true to our faith. Our weapons are not banners and shouts, litigation and insults. We have prayer, we have devotion, we have measured discussion and education. We are called to remain above the low attacks levelled against us.
But we need prayer, we need support. For Jesus Christ our Lord, who makes His one sacrifice present and Himself vulnerable every day for our salvation. And also from our fellow Catholics around the world. Pray for the Church in the Netherlands and everywhere where she is not heard, not understood and attacked. Pray that she may remain strong and faithful, that she does not bend to the temporary whims of society, but always remains true to Jesus Christ, who is the Word and Truth.
In reparation of this and so many other grave sacrileges, we may pray this Litany of Reparation in Honour of the Blessed Sacrament (Responses in bold):
Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us; Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have mercy on us
God the Father of Mercy, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Mediator between God and man, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, the Enlightener of hearts, Have mercy on us.
Holy and undivided Trinity, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Victim of reparation for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Annihilated on the altar for us and by us, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Despised and neglected, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Neglected and abandoned in Your temples, Have mercy on us.
Be merciful unto us: Spare us, O Lord. Be merciful unto us: Hear us, O Lord.
For so many unworthy Communions, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the irreverence of Christians, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the continual blasphemies of the impious, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the infamous discourses made in Your Holy Temples, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the crimes of sinners, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the sacrileges which profane Your sacrament of love, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the coldness of the greater part of Your children, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For their contempt of Your loving invitations, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the infidelity of those who call themselves Your friends, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For the abuse of Your grace, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For our unfaithfulness, We offer You our reparations, O Lord. For our delay in loving You, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For our tepidity in Your Holy Service, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your bitter sadness at the loss of souls, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your long waiting at the door of our hearts, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your loving sighs, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your loving tears, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your loving imprisonment, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
For Your loving death, We offer You our reparations, O Lord.
That You spare us, that You hear us, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
That You will make known Your love for us in this most Holy Sacrament, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
That You will vouchsafe to accept our reparation, made in the spirit of humility, We sinners beseech You, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, Who has chosen to expose Yourself to all the outrages of the impious, rather than withdraw Your Sacred Body from our Churches, grant us the grace to bewail, with true bitterness of heart, the injuries and sacrileges committed against you, and to repair as far as lies in our power, and with sincere love, the many ignominies and contempts You have received, and still continue to receive, in this ineffable mystery, Who lives and reigns with God, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Dutch version of the same litany is offered by the St. Agnes website.
In Caelo et in Terra 