1383. The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. “For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?”212 asks St. Ambrose. He says elsewhere, “The altar represents the body [of Christ] and the Body of Christ is on the altar.”213 The liturgy expresses this unity of sacrifice and communion in many prayers. Thus the Roman Church prays in its anaphora:
We entreat you, almighty God,
that by the hands of your holy Angel
this offering may be borne to your altar in heaven
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that as we receive in communion at this altar
the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
we may be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace.214
Aprofunde seus conhecimentos
164. How does one commit oneself to work for the unity of Christians?
574. What are the difficulties in prayer?
501. What can spouses do when they do not have children?
125. What is the “hell” into which Jesus descended?
56. How do we collaborate with divine Providence?
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
What is the role of God’s people in promoting social justice, according to Amos 5:24?
What does the Bible say about the wrath of God and how does it relate to the need for salvation?
What does Malachi 4:1 say about the punishment of the wicked?
How to be generous and share with those in need?
What is the example of faith that the poor widow gives us in Luke 21:1-4?
What is the promise of the Messiah mentioned in Malachi 3:1-3?
