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
369. Are there acts which are always illicit?
531. What is required and what is forbidden by the tenth commandment?
289. When does the Church oblige her members to participate at Holy Mass?
162. Where does the one Church of Christ subsist?
563. How does the Church pray to Mary?
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
How does Ruth’s story teach us about integrity and honesty?
What is the importance of gratitude in the Christian life, according to the first letter to Timothy?
What does the Bible say about the need to forgive, according to Colossians 3:13?
What does 1 John 2:29 teach us about God’s holiness and justice?
What does the statement “God so loved the world that he gave his son” in John 3:16 mean?
What is the meaning of the “True Vine” metaphor in John 15:1-8?
