Jesus is waiting for us. The Eucharist in the tabernacle is our source of unity as Christians. It unites our families past and present to the entire Church. It is for this reason, the Eucharist is also called Holy Communion. Those who believe these truths are in communion with each other and with Christ.
Part III, The Tabernacle
The Importance of the Tabernacle in the Catholic Church
What is the Tabernacle
The tabernacle is traditionally an ornate gold container. For centuries it has been placed in the sanctuary in the church. It holds the ciborium containing the Body of Christ- the Holy Eucharist which is consecrated at each Holy Mass “take this all of you and eat, this is my Body.”
This makes the tabernacle the heart of each Catholic Church; it is the focal point of those who come to pray and worship the Eucharist even outside of the Mass.
The term comes from the Latin tabernaculum which means ‘abode’, the house of God. This is the reason for the importance of the centrality that we have given to the tabernacle over the centuries.
It not only wanted to invoke the presence of God, but to also show how He is very near to His people “I will be with you always”.
The practice of having the tabernacle to reserve the sacred species- the Eucharist, comes from the early Christian tradition of guarding the blessed bread, so that the faithful may worship Christ at all times, to bring Holy Communion to the sick, to make Him constantly present in everyday life and to be a source of grace for those who spend time in His presence.
It has always been in our tradition to have the tabernacle located at the very center of the sanctuary above the altar, so that it is easily and readily visible to the faithful. There is traditionally a red flame always burning as a symbol of Christ’s blood poured out for us.
This is what makes every Catholic Church holy and separated from other buildings. It is sacred ground which calls us to prayer and reverence inside the church as we are in the presence of Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity inside the tabernacle.
Our Source of Grace
We do well then to genuflect on the right knee when passing the tabernacle and when entering and exiting the pew as this is a fitting expression of our homage to our Eucharistic King present before us.
The Eucharist in the tabernacle is our source of unity as Christians. It unites our families past and present to the entire Church. It is for this reason, the Eucharist is also called Holy Communion. Those who believe these truths are in communion with each other and with Christ.
CCC The directive as to where the tabernacle is to be located, is given in the 1983 Code of Canon Law which states:
The tabernacle in which the blessed sacrament is reserved should be sited in a distinguished place in the Church or Oratory, a place which is conspicuous, suitably adorned and conducive to prayer.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives reason for this when it emphasizes that the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life”(1324).