The Altar

During the celebration of Holy Mass, the Altar is the focal point of our celebration. It is on the Altar that the paschal lamb, Jesus Christ, is offered once again for the salvation of the world.  It is on the Altar that we experience the paschal mystery: Jesus Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.  It is on the Altar where ordinary bread and wine BECOME THE ACTUAL BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, AND DIVINITY of Jesus Christ.  The Altar, in a mysterious way, also becomes Christ, because Christ is himself the lamb to be sacrificed (read the Gospel of John), the priest who offers himself for the sacrifice (read St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews), and the Altar where the sacrifice is offered (listen to the Eucharistic Prayer at Holy Mass).  This is why whenever ministers enter or leave the sanctuary, we bow to the Altar.  This is why the priest kisses the Altar at the start and end of Holy Mass.  This is why we dress the Altar in clothes, because the Altar, during Holy Mass, is another Christ.  Just like you and I are other Christs.  
 
Another image to think of is a funeral liturgy.  At the end of a Funeral Mass, the priest comes down and incenses the body in the casket.  We do this as an image of our prayers rising to God, it’s also an image of our own foggy faith that makes it hard to believe in a resurrection, and because it’s a sign of respect for the body. In the same way, the priest also incenses the Altar for the same reasons.  
 
Friends, the sanctuary is not just a special place that looks nice for church. The sanctuary is the location of the greatest miracle and mystery in the world. The sanctuary of a Church is where God comes down again and again to us, His beloved children, so we can encounter Him, commune with Him, receive Him, and become Him. 

Candles

Candles add important and unique significance to our liturgical celebrations.  First, and most obvious, candles offer light.  Jesus is the light of the world who shatters the darkness of sin.  Just as darkness can never put out light, sin/evil will never be able to win against God who is love (all good).  Candles are also lit for important occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries.  We light candles as a way to celebrate important events, and no event is more important than the Paschal Mystery. Finally, we light candles to show the passage of time.  While we await the second coming of Jesus Christ, we use candles (real candles) to remind us of the waiting involved.  It’s the same reason for the tradition of an Advent Wreath.  The four candles getting smaller and also brighter each week symbolizes Christ entering the world, shattering darkness, and we are a people who wait patiently for that day.

Plants

It’s an ancient tradition to have plants in a church, especially the sanctuary, to serve as a reminder of life before sin entered in the Garden of Eden. When we read about the Temple in the Old Testament, it was said to have large plants and trees.  This tradition continued because when we enter a Church building we want to be reminded of heaven!  We want to be brought into the reality we celebrate at Holy Mass through signs and symbols.  Plants are a reminder that we are people of the earth, created by God, and called by God to take care of all creation.  Plants in Church don’t just remind us of the Garden of Eden, they also remind us of how beautiful Gods creation is.  
 
Ultimately, when we come to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, we need to be immersed in the mysteries and realities we are celebrating.  Because these are spiritual mysteries, we rely on the physical world to help us enter into the reality of the spiritual mystery.  Incense, candles, statues, stained glass windows, the hearing of the Word, the tasting of our Lords flesh and blood, and the touching of our hands with each other in greetings and the sign of peace all help us enter deeper into the mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  
 
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the foundation and cornerstone of our life as Catholic Disciples of Jesus Christ. When we celebrate our Blessed Lords passion, death, and triumphant resurrection we are reminding ourselves of how much God loves us and what He has promised us. By receiving our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist (the source and summit of our life) we are pledging to become who we receive. Allow your hearts to be open and enter the deep mysteries of the Mass so we can all become more like Jesus Christ