On the Liturgical Meaning of the Altar 

- Sunday in the Octave of Christmas(2023-12-31)

Introduction

It was by the Holy Sacrifice of the Cross that Our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us and merited eternal life for us. The Sacrifice of the Cross is renewed at Mass. Holy Mass is therefore at the heart of our Catholic faith and spiritual life. To nourish our faith and our spiritual life, it is very helpful to understand the meaning of the liturgy of the Mass, that is, the prayers and ceremonies through which Holy Mass is celebrated. With this in mind, I would like to speak today about the altar and its meaning.

The altar in general

The altar is the place where the priest offers the sacrifice of the Mass to God. Originally, the altar was made of wood, in memory of the wooden table on which Our Lord celebrated the first Mass, and the wooden cross on which He was crucified. From the 6th century onwards, the Church decided that altars should be made of stone. I will explain why later. When, for practical reasons, the entire altar cannot be made of stone, at least a small, flat stone must be inserted in the altar at the place where the priest places the chalice and Host during Mass. This stone is called the « altar stone ».

    

The Church makes usually the altar in the shape of a tomb. There are two reasons for this. The first is to recall the Holy Sepulchre and the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The second is to recall that during the persecutions of the first centuries, Catholics had to hide in the catacombs or cemeteries of Rome, and they celebrated Holy Mass on the tombs of the martyrs.

Martyrs’ relics are inserted into the altar. This, too, recalls the days of Mass in the catacombs. But more than that, it symbolizes the union of perfect love between Our Lord Jesus Christ and His faithful. « Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends » (Jn 25 :13). Our Lord Jesus gave His life for us on the cross, and this sacrifice is renewed at Mass. The martyrs gave their lives for the love of Jesus, and it was by uniting themselves to Jesus through the Mass that they found the strength to die for Him. It is fitting and meaningful therefore to insert Martyrs’ relics in the altar.

The tabernacle is where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. The shape of the tabernacle has changed over the centuries. Today, it is most commonly in the shape of a tower, and this suits it well. Indeed a tower is a symbol of strength, and in the tabernacle is kept the Bread of the Strong, i.e. the Holy Eucharist.

Above the tabernacle, a Crucifix is placed. This, of course, is to remind us that Holy Mass is the renewal of the sacrifice of the Cross. Jesus offers Himself on the altar as He offered Himself on the cross. Only the way in which He does it, is different. On the cross, the sacrifice was visible to those present at Calvary, and bloody; at Mass, it is hidden in sacramental form, and non-bloody.

The altar represents Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The altar is not only where the priest offers the sacrifice of the Mass, but also it represents Our Lord Jesus Himself. And this explains some of the rites of the Mass.

     

But first, let us answer the question : why does the Church make the altar a symbol of Our Lord Jesus Christ ? The altar is the place where the priest offers the sacrifice. But the body and soul of Jesus are like the place where God the Son offers Himself to His Father. Indeed, it is as man, not as God, that God the Son can offer Himself to God the Father. The altar thus represents the humanity of Jesus Christ. This is why 5 crosses are engraved on an altar, representing the 5 wounds that marked Our Lord’s body.

The Church has made the altar a symbol of Jesus Christ for a 2nd reason. The altar is the place where the priest offers the sacrifice to God on behalf of mankind ; the altar is therefore like the point of contact between God and mankind. But Jesus Christ, being both God and man, is the point of contact, the unique and universal mediator between God and man. The altar thus represents Jesus Christ as mediator.

Finally, the altar represents Our Lord Jesus Christ for a 3rd reason. None of our sacrifices, none of our prayers, can please God unless they are offered through, with and in Jesus Christ. This is why the Church ends all its prayers with the words : « Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. » Our Lord Jesus is therefore like an altar on which we offer our adoration, our thanksgiving, our penance for our sins and our petitions.

I was telling you that the Church has decided that the altar must be made of stone. Why ? Because the altar represents Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the cornerstone on which the Church is founded. St. Paul says this to the Ephesians (2 :19-22) : «You are fellow citizens with the saints and the domestics of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone : in whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the Spirit. »

The altar is covered with 3 cloths. There is a practical reason for this, namely that if the priest were to accidentally spill the Precious Blood, it would be absorbed by these cloths and not flow on the ground. But the cloths do not have to be so long that they reach the ground on either side of the altar. These cloths have a symbolic meaning. The altar represents Christ; the altar has a shape of a tomb to recall the Holy Sepulcher; the cloths represent the Holy Shroud and the funeral linens in which Christ’s body was wrapped.

All the ornaments with which the altar is decorated recall the beauty and glory of Our Lord. That is why on 1st class feast days like Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, when we celebrate Our Lord’s most glorious titles, we decorate the altar with more ornaments. On Good Friday, on the contrary, the altar is completely stripped to show how Christ stripped Himself of all glory during His Passion.

The priest’s gestures towards the altar

Once you have understood that the altar represents Our Lord Jesus, you will understand some gestures of the priest during Holy Mass.

The priest kisses the altar with respect, just as the Holy Women kissed Jesus’ feet after his Resurrection.

Before turning to the faithful, the priest kisses the altar to unite himself with Our Lord ; then he gives Him to the faithful, either by saying « Dominus Vobiscum », or by giving the final blessing.

When the priest blesses the incense, he puts his left hand on the altar as he blesses with his right. This signifies that the blessing given by the priest comes from Our Lord Jesus.

The priest spreads the incense perfumed smoke around the altar before Consecration, as St. Mary Magdalene spread spikenard over Jesus in announcement of His burial (Jn 12:7).

The priest incenses the altar, making the fragrance of incense go up towards Heaven from the altar. This symbolizes Jesus Christ’s prayer to God the Father, especially His prayer on the Cross.

Conclusion

Dear faithful, the Catholic liturgy is a school of Faith and spiritual life. Let us strive to understand it better and better, and so to pray Holy Mass more profoundly.

fr. E. Demornex