Posted on 03/04/2017 3:53:25 PM PST by ebb tide
Fr. Thomasz Jochemczyk, of the Diocese of Albenga-Imperia, Italy, in a lecture at the International Congress for the Reign of Christ the King, presented in dramatic fashion the spiritual/theological and psychological consequences of the priest saying Mass with his back to Our Lord in the Tabernacle.
Fr. Jochemczyk asks: how would you feel if someone addressed you with their back to you? Is it not an insult? And what are we to make of such a stance - literally - when the priest address Our Lord, turned away from Him? Remember, Jesus Christ is God, He is our King. He is truly and substantially Present in the Tabernacle.
(Excerpt) Read more at torontocatholicwitness.blogspot.ca ...
Full title:
The Priest and the Tabernacle: not to face God while addressing Him is blasphemy
Yup, but especially, Matthew 18:20.
You can’t turn your physical body away from God. However, many people can turn their heart.
Christ is really and truly present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament which is reserved in the Tabernacle. The Altar is the site of the Re-creation of the Eternal Sacrifice, so it is also due respect. But it does not "represent" God. God is in the Tabernacle.
There's a saying: "Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi." - "As we worship, so we believe, and so we live."
We are souls inhabiting bodies, and our bodies to a great extent affect our soul's disposition (try to concentrate with a bad toothache, for example!)
If our manner of worship is physically disrespectful to God, then that affects our disposition towards Him. The lackadaisical celebration that has become far too popular engenders a lack of reverence and respect.
My parish is pretty straight up and traditional Novus Ordo parish, but we hosted a diocese-wide service in honor of "women and youth in the Church" (i.e. those meddling old ladies and their offspring . . . I can say that, I are one . . . ;-) ) The kids were running wild, screaming and larking around before the service and even when the prelude started up. And the grownups were no better - they were yelling at each other across the church, talking during the service, etc. Our organist is normally a quiet soul, but he said, "I cranked up the State Trumpets and just drowned them out."
And our custodian was nearly in tears when he saw the horrible mess they left in the pews - not only paper but discarded cups and drinks and FOOD! It was horrible.
I thought that God becomes present in the tabernacle when the priest consecrates the bread and wine. This is called the “transubstantiation,” when during the Sacrament of the Eucharist the substance of bread and wine do not remain, but the entire substance of bread is changed into the body of Christ, and the entire substance of wine is changed into His blood. If there is no transubstantiated bread and wine, God is not in the tabernacle and having ones back towards the tabernacle should not be a problem.
Vatican II changed all that. My mom always taught me that upon entering a Catholic church I should immediately search for the tabernacle and genuflect while keeping my eyes on It.
Transubstantiation occurs with the bread and wine presented on the altar. The tabernacle is used for the reservation of the Eucharist remaining after the Mass.
They keep the unused hosts (Eucharist) in the tabernacle after the mass?
Yes.
Yes, in order to have hosts available for bringing Communion to the sick and for adoration.
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