I was reflecting earlier today on the symbols we see in the Mass when I realized that many people don’t know much about the various symbols in the Church and at Mass.
Often, the Church wants to communicate with us on a level that goes beyond words, because words can sometimes get in the way. Symbols are one way that she does that, alongside various ritual actions and sacred music also help her to communicate meaning.
Since our Catholic faith revolves around the mystery of the Resurrection, it seems appropriate to start with the Easter Candle, which we call the Paschal Candle when we’re trying to sound fancy. The Easter Candle stands primarily for Christ and his presence with us. It is blessed and then lit from the holy fire at the Easter Vigil. During the Easter Season, it is lit at every major liturgy celebrated in the Church, and the candle is placed in a prominent place near the front of the Sanctuary or next to the ambo (the place where the readings are read). It is also lit during all baptisms and funerals to remind us that Christ is present at every moment of our lives. He welcomes us into his family at our baptisms, and he welcomes us into eternity at our deaths.
The Sanctuary itself, which is the area of the Church where the altar is, with the white tile, is a symbol too. It’s deeply linked to the architecture of the ancient Jerusalem temple, and specifically to the place immediately before the Holy of Holies where the sacrifices of incense were made, where the table of the showbread was kept, and where the golden lamp stands were kept. Does this sound familiar? We now place bread and wine upon the altar, which God makes into his Body and Blood. Often, we offer incense as a burnt offering to God in preparation for this sacred moment. And nearly every sanctuary has a lamp, which is always lit when God is present in the tabernacle.
The Communion Rail and the Sanctuary Gates within it are a reminder that God was once separated from us. While we cannot enter Heaven fully while we live on this earth, he has opened the Gates of Heaven and invited us to enter them at the end of our earthly life. St. John’s vision in Revelation gives a glimpse of the sanctuary of Heaven, where our Lord is seated on his throne. In this vision, all those who have followed Christ are welcomed into the sanctuary to witness the worship of God and the offering of incense to him. So while the rail is a reminder and symbol of our separation, the gates are a reminder that God has come to his people and invited them to follow him into his Holy Place.
The last symbol I’ll talk about today is incense. Catholics these days have a complicated relationship with incense. One of my pastors, when I was growing up, would have a server take the thurible (the thing where the incense is burned) without any charcoals or incense in it and walk around the church. We’d then watch and see how many people started coughing just when they saw the thurible. Incense, though, is one of the only things God actually asked us to offer to him. In Exodus 30, Aaron is instructed to offer incense every day at morning and evening. Since ancient times, incense is offered during the church’s official morning and evening prayers (Lauds and Vespers) when these prayers are solemnly celebrated. Scripture establishes incense as a symbol of prayer. Psalm 141 asks, “Let my prayer be incense before you,” establishing this link. At Mass, we incense those things we intend to offer to God. At the beginning of Mass as we incense the altar, we offer him our prayers as a community. We offer incense that the words of the Gospel may be a prayer on our hearts. We incense the gifts placed upon the altar as well as the priest and all the people, as these are to be offered to God at Mass and we pray that they (and we!) are an offering worthy of him.
Have a wonderful week!
Fr. Matt