Catholics believe that during the mass, the bread and wine contained within that tabernacle actually changed into the body and blood of Christ – transubstantiation.
This ritual is performed to remind worshippers of the Last Supper and of the sacrificed they believe Jesus made for them.
Consecrated bread is usually left in the tabernacle after distribution so it can be taken to those who are sick or housebound.
Parishioners treat the tabernacle with great respect. They often bow to the tabernacle upon passing it, or when then they enter the church as a sign of respect.
The Altar
The altar is probably the most important feature of any catholic church, as the mass is based around it.
It is found in the “sanctuary” area, and acts as a focal point for the mass.
It is covered with cloths (which are usually white, although this can vary seasonally), and candles are place on this. The candles are symbolic of the belief that Jesus is a “light, showing the way”.
The altar is where the bread and wine are blessed by the priest and offered to God as the body and blood of Christ – this belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ is known as transubstantiation.
The altar signifies sacrifice – the sacrifice Catholics believe that Jesus made for them – which is why some altars contain the relics of Saints – people who have sacrificed their lives to God.
Confessional
This is a small room, in which at specified times, the worshipper is invited to enter and confess sins to the priest, who will be either behind a screen or sitting in front of the person. Catholics believe that the priest then has the power to cleanse you of sin through God. Confession is now more commonly referred to as reconciliation. The confessional boxes vary from church to church, although the reconciliation box I visited was fairly small, and sparsely decorated with a candle burning in the corner and a small statue of Mary.
Reconciliation is an extremely important sacrament to Catholics, and a sacrament that must be received before being allowed to receive Holy Communion.
It is important to note that Catholics do not see the priest as being in any way capable of cleansing sin; that is a power belonging to God alone, they see the priest instead as an “interceptor”. It is also important that without deep sincerity and sorrow, confession is a meaningless act; confession is not the mere telling of one’s sins.
Statues and Icons
Statues and icons are holy images placed at various points around the church. Icons are usually painted by monks and feature those if importance to the catholic religion – such as Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the saints. These are there to help inspire worship. Many people pray in front of them, but it is important to emphasise that Catholics do not pray to the statues/icons, but rather use them as a source of inspiration.
One catholic describes how he believes such images and statues are of use to Catholics by saying: “Sacred images help show uw our relationship with the Holy Trinity and with all the company of heaven”.
Catholics also use these to help them approach something, which for many is far too great a concept to even begin to think about.
Lectern
The lectern is the stand on which the bible is placed to be read from during the service. The lectern is often in the shape of an eagle standing on a ball which symbolises the power of God in the world.
The Pulpit
This is a raised platform in the church from which the sermon is preached. In the past it was elevated in order to enable to congregation to hear and see the preacher clearly. Nowadays, with microphones and sound systems, many preachers prefer to use the lectern as it means there is a reduced distance to the congregation and more of a “community” feeling.
The Stoup
This is found at the entrance to the church and is designed to remind worshippers of their baptism – entrance to the catholic religion. Churchgoers dip their hands in this bowl of holy water and make the sign of the cross with it.
The holy water in the stoup is used to bless ourselves with. Also the symbol of crossing ourselves signifies our belief in the resurrection and the Holy Trinity.
Water here is used a symbol of “washing away sin” and purity.
Cross/Crucifix
The crucifix is usually a prominent feature in any Catholic Church. A crucifix shows a Jesus figure on the cross and reminds Catholics of Jesus’ suffering from them
A cross is like a crucifix but with no Jesus figure. Crosses are found more commonly in protestant churches.
The crucifix is so important and is represents a core belief of the Catholic religion – that Jesus died and was resurrected.
Catholic churches often also have “stations of the cross”, found in the form of pictures or models that are displayed around the walls. There are usually 14 of them, and they show what happened to Jesus from his trial to his crucifixion.
These stations are usually as follows –
- Christ condemned to death;
- The cross is laid upon him;
- His first fall;
- He meets His Blessed Mother;
- Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross;
- Christ’s face is wiped by Veronica;
- His second fall;
- He meets the women of Jerusalem;
- His third fall;
- He is stripped of His garments;
- His crucifixion;
- His death on the cross;
- His body is taken down from the cross (Source – Newadvent.org)
Catholics often pray moving from station to station and taking time to meditate and reflect on each. This helps the worshipper make a mental pilgrimage to the scenes of Jesus’ death and suffering, and is very valuable in that way. This is known as the devotion of the stations and is often done publicly.
Some churches set aside special times for this, for example, in the Colosseum at Rome, where every Friday the devotion of the Stations is conducted publicly by a Franciscan Father.
Offertory Candles
Parishioners often pay to light these candles as a symbol of ongoing prayer. The candle is lit by worshippers and continues burning as a sign that prayer does not die out even if the worshipper forgets about it – prayer is continuous. The flame of the candle also symbolises Jesus, who is often compared to a light leading the way to righteousness.
