The Catholic Tradition of a Priest Kissing the Altar
by Ezra Rose
The Roman Catholic Mass begins
with the procession. Each member genuflects at the altar, and the priest and
deacon kiss the altar in an act of veneration.
The
Altar of Sacrifice
In
Roman Catholicism, the altar is both the sacrificial table and the place where
the paschal feast takes place.
During the first centuries of
Christianity, when the Eucharist was still illegal, Christian altars were
constructed from wood and often resembled ordinary house tables.
This practice continued until
the Middle Ages when, in 517, the provincial council of Epeaune in France
decreed that altars should be made of stone to signify “Christ Jesus himself
being the cornerstone” of Catholicism.
Venerated relics were conserved
in cavities in the stone altars of newly built Basilicas, which were then
placed directly above the tomb of a martyr to evoke those times during the
persecutions of the church when martyrs' tombs were utilized as places of
Eucharistic celebration.
In Remembrance of Me.
The
Eucharist is housed in the Tabernacle, which is present in the sanctuary. It is
customary to genuflect in reverence to the Tabernacle when entering the
sanctuary.
According to Catholicism, Jesus
Christ established the Holy Eucharist prior to his death on the cross by
informing the twelve apostles to “do this in remembrance of me.”
The Eucharist involves the
Roman Catholic concept of Transubstantiation:the bread and wine take on the
substance of Christ, maintaining their literal taste and appearance while
becoming, in essence, his body and blood.
The Altar
An act
of veneration, the holy kiss, or kiss of peace, occurs three times during the
Mass, the first of which is at the altar.
Like the cross on Calvary,
where the Bible says that Jesus Christ sacrificed his life and was crucified,
the altar is considered a place of sacrifice.
In kissing the altar, the
priest symbolizes the bond between Christ and his church; acknowledges the
sacrifices of those martyrs (relics) who gave their life for the furtherance of
the faith; and, when performed with the deacon, is an extension of peace to the
community.
The final kiss is also given at
the altar to venerate the table as a symbol of Christ, as well as being the
place where the faithful offer their bodies as a "living sacrifice."
The Living Word.
The
next holy kiss seals and venerates the Word after the liturgy of the Word at
the Ambo.
The Ambo is a lectern where the deacon carries
the Gospel book.
The Gospel is seen to have within it the power
to transform the lives of the faithful.
According to Catholicism, just as Christ became
the living Word, so the faithful should seek to do the same.
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