The Altar
There is nothing in the world like the
Catholic Church
(The
Altar)
In every evangelical church throughout
the world, there is no Altar. In the Catholic Church, however, the Altar is
perfectly placed, that upon entrance, your eyes are drawn immediately to the
Altar. Why? What is so important about the Catholic Altar? The Altar of the
Catholic Church is much more than merely a symbolic representation of an Old
Testament sacrifice.
Reformers destroy Catholic Altars & Catholic Art
Webster defines art as a “conscious
arrangement or production of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other
elements in a way that affects the aesthetic senses.” It is not a stretch to
say The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a perfect art form (Altar, music,
vestments, liturgy, stand, sit, kneel & smells).
With this definition in mind,
G.K. Chesterton said blasphemy is also an art. He went on to explain, “One of
the unfortunate characteristics of the Reformation was the practice of the art
of blasphemy. The Reformation has produced such blasphemy, in the form of
chalices melted down, missals and vestments burned, and of altars knocked apart
and their stone slabs used for street paving.”
Evelyn Waugh pointed out in
his biography of Edmund Campion, “the reformers could see that the Mass was
recognized as being both the distinguishing sign and the main sustenance of the
Catholic believer. The destruction and profaning of Catholic altars was a
conscious and calculated assault on the Catholic Church.” Saint Edmund Campion was an English
Catholic Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in
officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted
of high treason, he was hanged, drawn and quartered.
In addition to
killing Priests and destroying Altars, the Protestant reformers, during the
16th century in Europe, almost entirely rejected the existing tradition of
Catholic art, and very often destroyed as much of it as it could reach.
What about the Catholic Altar?
The Altar is the focal point
of the church building. It is the material expression of the Church’s worship.
The church building is literally built around and over the altar. When a large
church or cathedral was built, it was always the sanctuary that went up first.
Each Altar, in every Catholic Church throughout the entire world,
shares the following:
·
The Altar is the centerpiece for worship, where
a real sacrifice is being performed. There is nothing symbolic about this
sacrifice. The body and blood of Jesus Christ is being offered to the Father
with the words, “Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, for ever and ever.”
These words are not symbolic in any way. They are the culmination of the
Eucharistic Prayer. It is said in early Christianity, when this amen was
offered by the congregation, demons trembled.
·
The Altar is the very place where heaven
literally meets earth. It is the one place on earth that heaven is guaranteed
to open.
·
The Catholic Altar is where the Altar of the
Cross meets the Altar of our hearts.
·
Bread and wine will be offered, just like when
Melchizedek met with Abraham and offered bread and wine to the Father. The
bread will become the actual body of Christ, exactly the same as when Jesus
offered bread and wine at the last supper. The wine will become the blood of
Christ, both providing the answer to John 6, when Jesus said, “unless you eat
my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” We actually consume the
body, blood, soul and divinity of God, because of this Altar.
·
This Altar is the place where we can offer
ourselves to God, willing to die to self, in order to have more of God and less
of us, allowing scripture to be fulfilled in each of us which states, “I must
decrease and He must increase.”
·
Not only gifts of bread and wine are offered
here, but, in addition to ourselves being offered, all of our prayers and
petitions are offered on the Altar...through Jesus Christ, to The Father.
·
In the very early church, each Mass was offered
upon the tombs of martyrs, made of stone.
·
Most Altars, even today, contain a relic of a
Martyr.
·
The Altar is kissed at the beginning of each Mass. The Priest kisses
the Altar where the relic of the martyr is placed.
·
As the Priest kisses the Altar, we are called to
remember what the Altar represents, Jesus giving everything so you and I could
have life...eternal life, eternal hope.
·
Each Altar is anointed by a Bishop, setting it
apart for service. Just as Jesus was anointed by Mary before His death, the
Altar is used to re-present Jesus' sacrifice, both His death and resurrection,
defeating sin and death by nailing them both to the cross.
·
The Bishop will anoint the middle and the four
corners of the Altar, representing the five wounds of Christ...head, hands,
feet, back and side. Anointing the corners represents the Gospel being taken to
the four corners of the world.
·
Like the Passover of old, saving those who
placed the blood of the lamb on their doorpost, the Altar is where this same
blood of the lamb is offered, giving us the opportunity to place Jesus' blood
on the doorpost of our heart.
Given what we have just learned about each Catholic Altar, let's read a
scripture we may not have totally understood before:
“Come to Him, to that living stone, rejected by men, but in God's
sight, chosen and precious. And like living stones, be yourselves built into a
spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it states in scripture, 'behold, I
am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who
believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:4-6
It is no accident, the Altar, made of stone, is the centerpiece of
every Catholic Church. The Altar anchors the bond between Christ and His church.
No! There is nothing in the world like the Catholic Church!