Yes, I've noticed, but what really sets my teeth on edge is the "bowing to graven images" -- i.e., the priest and his entourage come on the altar and everyone bows toward the front; same thing at the end -- bows to what exactly? The Sacrament is reserved on a side altar and ignored; the Real Presence used to be the Catholic justification against Protestant arguments of idolatry, i.e., "bowing to graven images."
In my current parish, the Sacrament is still reserved on the center altar in the lower church, though the altar is not covered with a cloth and has no candles. The tabernacle light (or I guess that's what it is) is not red and hangs from the ceiling approximately over the communion rail. So the "presider's chair" (novus ordo priests seem to need to rest a good deal!) is on the side; nevertheless, when the priest rises for the Gospel, he first bows toward the table! What is this?
At best, someone didn't think this through.
Perhaps you neither consider the altar to be a sacred place, nor have the relics of a saint contained within?
SD
Ha, ha, that reminds me of a parish in Boston which took the tabernacle off their altar and placed ferns in that spot. Later when they were beginning a "wreckovation" project they asked for comments on their website. I replied that the new church was a non-Catholic monstrosity but it would have 1 significant advantage: attendees would no longer feel as though they were engaged in nature worship since their adoration would no longer be directed towards ferns.