The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-06-25
Sermons on Catholic Worship.

stone, and N the shape of an ancient
tomb
Present Usage.
In accordance with the present
discipline of the Church the altar
should be of natural stone. This
law was enacted not merely for
unitarian reasons, because stone Is
more dignified and durable, but also
because of the mystical meaning at
tached thereto, because thus the altar
becomes "a figure Of Christ of Whom
st. Paul says, "And the rock was
Christ" (Cor. x. A. Christ also ap-
piled this comparison to Himself:
Have you never read in the Scrip
lures: The stone which the builders
rejected, the same has become the
Head of the corner" Matt. XXI. 49,
Into the altar stone are cut five
crosses, one in each of the four
corners, and one in the center. This
is done to remind us of tho five
wounds of Christ whence flowed the
blood by which we are redeemed. and
to show the continuance of that same
perennial spring of grace in the Sacri-
fee offered on the altar.
According to the manner in which
they are constructed, affairs are NOV
able or immovable. An altar is called
immovable when the table of the altar
is solid stone slab cemented to q
stone foundation. A movable or port
able altar is small stone slab set in
the wooden table, large enough to
allow the Host and the Chalice to rest
upon it. The missionary priest car
ries such an altar stone with him
when Mass is to be offered in a place
where no altar has been erected.
The Altar Stone.
The Church prescribes that the
altar be solemnly consecrated ny the
bishop. 1t is not the ordinary stone,
but the sanctified altar stone which
constitutes the appropriate place for
sacrifice. This conservation of the
altar, as of any other inanimate
object, is performed, not that these
objects are capable Of receiving any
supernatural prerogative, but to
render the object so consecrated more
worthy of it's high purpose, and to
teach the faithful to prepare them
| selves for reyerent participation in
this sublime mystery.
The altar occupies an elevated
place in the church to enable the
faithful to witness the ceremonies,
and thus to assist at the sacred func-
ton with greater devotion; also to
remind them of Calvary on which
the sacrifice of the New Law, renewed
in the Mass, was offered up in a
bloody manner; again, to bring to
their minds that the priest Of.
fering up the sacrifice in the
| place Of Christ is the mediator
between heaven and earth, be.
tween God and man: finally to
teach the faithful to lift up their
desires and aspirations heavenward.
Position of Altar.
Wherever possible the altar should
be turned toward the east, because n
was in the east that Christ the Sun
of Justice, the Light of the World
first appeared to dispell the darkness
of ignorance and malice, to diffuse
the light of faith and the fire oil
charity, to proclaim the dawn of q
brighter and better day.
Let us have the highest veneratio1
for the altar: for the Christian alta,
is the place where the Sacrifice of the
New Law is offered; it is the banquet
table which supplies food for oul
souls in Holy Communion, the dis
tributing center of "the Living Bread
that came down from heaven it Il
the throne of grace where the God
Man, present under the appearances
of bread, is ever ready to receive oul
alterations and thanksgivings, eve,
willing to hear our petitions ant
grant our requests.