THINGS I LEFT OUT

     I am writing this the weekend after our “Exploded/Explained Mass,” and I’m realizing that there were things I could have talked about but didn’t. Perhaps mentioning some of them now will be a “finishing touch” to that Mass-catechesis.

     We sometimes use two different words to describe the major item of furniture in the sanctuary—the altar or the table. Sometimes they’re combined (altar-table). Both of these words speak of important aspects of our Eucharistic celebration. “Altar” connotes sacrifice, and Catholics understand that this means the unbloody re-presentation (making really present) of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. On the other hand, “table” connotes meal, and this is the way we share in Christ’s self-offering, following his command to “Take and eat; take and drink.” And so the altar is prepared as a table—it has an altar cloth (like a dining room table); in front of the priest is a large white cloth called a “corporal,” on which the Body/Blood of the Lord is laid—just like a place mat. Alongside it is laid a “purificator,” used to wipe the Communion cups, like a napkin. The word chalice comes from the Latin for “cup”; the word paten comes from the Latin for “plate.” So we eat/drink from the Lord’s Sacrifice—it is our anticipation of the heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb—its hors d’ouevres, as it were. We do this because He said “Do this.”

After the Greeting of Peace, a Special Minister of Holy Communion brings to the altar a ciborium from the tabernacle. Why? First of all, let’s consider the names. A tabernacle comes from the word that gives us tavern—if you can think of a place for eating and drinking and spending the night. It is also related to the image of the Jerusalem Temple and its Holy of Holies. A ciborium comes from the word for “food” (in Italian the word is cibo). So this is a container with food—the bread of angels given to us (think Panis Angelicus or “Bread of Life”).

As Catholics we understand not only the Real Presence of our Lord in the Sacrament, but we also understand what is called a perduring Presence—that is, once consecrated it is always the Body of Christ. It is reserved in the ciborium in the tabernacle, and when our count for the numbers of folks at Mass isn’t quite perfect, we either take what is needed from the ciborium the consecrated Sacrament, or we put back what has not been used. It is kept there most especially to bring Communion to the dying and the sick. Perhaps at no other time in the Church’s year is Eucharistic reservation done so dramatically as on Holy Thursday, when the ciborium is on the altar after Communion, incensed, and carried to our “Garden of Gethsemane” to be reserved and worshipped there. This will be the only source of Holy Communion on Good Friday.

These are things I should have spoken about (more concisely!) at the Mass. I hope this helps, and if you have any questions about what or why, you know how to find me!                                                                                                                               -Fr. David