Church: A Place Where Mystery Happens -#10

There are two focal points in Catholic liturgy. The first is the ambo and the second is the altar. In the past Catholics were accustomed to pulpits that were raised up high above the congregation. This facilitated hearing and seeing. But it also gave preachers an imposing and impressive position from which they could speak eloquently. I imagine that hell-fire preachers could have literally half-frightened their listeners to death. When I was a young priest I preached from a few of these pulpits and I found myself feeling incredibly distant from the people. Standing high above the people I literally looked down on the people. I remember telling one congregation that I now understood how easy it would be to scold the people from that position of superiority.

Some pulpits in Catholic circles were placed out into the midst of the people. This disconnected the act of preaching from the action at the altar. Pulpits constructed from wood were often decorated with carvings of the four evangelists or other symbols. Preaching on Sunday became an important moment or instruction. Some dioceses issued a syllabus that outlined sermons for the pastor and the other priests. This preaching instructed the faithful about the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, the duties of the laity, the commandments of the Church, and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. I have discovered some sermon outlines that presented Catholic social teaching in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. An inspirational kind of preaching took place at parish missions. Visiting priests, usually known for their impressive rhetoric and often from communities such as the Passionists, Paulists, Redemptorists, and Jesuits, came and spoke about the four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. They either used the pulpit or (at least the Passionists) they erected a platform along with a large mission cross.

The ambo, a reading stand that is humbler and less pretentious, has replaced the old style pulpits. It is ideally made of the same material as the altar and is similar to it in size and design. The preacher is no longer put into a position where he can lord it over the lay folk who hear the Word.

Catholic altars are another story! I have seen some that are so large that they could accommodate elephant sacrifices. Others are elevated on platforms so that the priest and altar are visible. Some are positioned remotely from the sisters and the brothers and convey an aura of priestly, consecratory power. The altar is a table. Bread, wine, and cup are placed on it. The assembly should be able to see the gifts offered. Candles and flowers or other decorations are placed near, not on the altar. The altar is not a utility table for books, worship aids, clergy eyeglasses, and eyeglass cases. The altar is sacred, permanent, and a place of dignity. Nothing cheap, chintzy, makeshift or artificial is appropriate. The altar is kissed with deliberate affection because it symbolizes Christ, our high priest. The bishop smears the altar with oil when it is consecrated because on it the sacrifice of the Eucharist is offered to God. Placing relics of the saints or martyrs on a shelf under the altar fortifies the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist.