Andrea Zachman - The Sacred That Surrounds Us: How Everything in a Catholic Church Points to Heaven

Nihil obstat: Rev. George Welzbacher

Censor librorum

January 9, 2019

Imprimatur: + Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda

Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

January 9, 2019

The Sacred That Surrounds Us: How Everything in a Catholic Church Points to Heaven is a faith formation resource of Ascension.

Copyright 2019 Ascension Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.

With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , 2nd ed., for use in the United States of America, Copyright 2000, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture passages are from the Revised Standard Version Bible, Second Catholic Edition, Copyright 2006, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Roman Missal 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation.

All rights reserved.

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Photography by Christian Giannelli Photography

Cover design: Joe Montfort

The painting of The Visitation shown on page 96 is used by permission of the artist, Adrian Martinez

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ISBN 978-1-945179-71-6

Special Thanks

To our Lord and Savior, for his gift of the Eucharist and the beauty he gave the world in the Catholic Faith.

To my husband Nathan and our children, for their continuous support.

To Julie, for the idea of writing this book.

To Fr. Peter Richards and Fr. Thomas McCabe of St. Michael Catholic Church in St. Michael, MN, for their encouragement and support.

To Fr. Stephen Leva, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Downingtown, PA, and Fr. Michael Fitzpatrick, pastor of St. Peter Church in West Brandywine, PA, for allowing us to photograph these beautiful places of worship.

To all the amazing people who gave advice and support during the writing process.

Introduction

Have you ever sat in church and looked around, not fully understanding all the vessels, vestments, and articles surrounding you? Or worse, sat there wanting to know more, but not knowing where to go or whom to ask? While there are many books that will explain the parts of the Mass and the sacraments, there are very few resources that explain the actual items found within every Catholic church. The Sacred That Surrounds Us explains the meaning, history, and symbolism behind Catholic vessels, vestments, and articles.

As we begin to understand what the items are and why they are relevant, we can start to appreciate the beauty and depth of our Catholic Faith. Go into your own church and look for these sacred items. The aim is not to simply memorize these items, but to get to know them so that the Mass can be a deeper, richer experience for you. God bless you in your journey to grow in knowledge, love, and reverence for the sacred.

Chapter One:
The Sacred in the Mass

There are a lot of items used during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What are these items, and why are they used? In this chapter, we will focus on all the sacred that you might find at a Catholic Mass (daily, Sunday, and holy days).

Take your time to really understand them. Introduce a few each time. Once you have learned them, add a few more until the chapter is finished. Then, go into your own church and find them there. Watch for each item as it is used in the Mass.

Narthex

(also, the Vestibule or Gathering Space)

The narthex (Greek for giant funnel) is the area in the church that you enter when you come in from outside but before you enter the nave. It can be one space or three different spaces. The narthex allows people to prepare for Mass before they come into the presence of the Lord. It is also a place where the congregation gathers to celebrate processions for special holy Masses, such as the Easter Vigil, Corpus Christi, and Palm Sunday.

The early Church emphasized the importance of being prepared and coming to the Mass ready to receive Jesus truly present in the Eucharist. The Christians of the early Church often met in homes of fellow Christians to celebrate Mass. The Eucharist was also celebrated in the catacombs, the burial places of those who led Christian lives and sometimes lost their lives for Christ. It was not until the fourth century, when Christianity became legal, that they started converting pagan structures into churches and constructing new buildings. You would find a covered porch at the entrance of those early churches, which would have been used as the entryway into the church.

We have been gathering as a Christian family for almost 2,000 years. When our Catholic community comes together at Mass, we truly are united, one body in Christ. As we enter the church through the narthex and walk with others into the nave, we can feel that community of belief. We are all coming for the same reasons: to be disciples of the Lord and to be as close to God as we can. We cannot be any closer to God this side of heaven than being present at the Mass, and there is no relationship more personal than that of Holy Communion.

Therefore the churches, although they are so many and so great, comprise but one primitive Church, (founded) by the apostles, from which they all [spring].

Tertullian of Carthage ( ad 200)

Nave

Nave comes from the Latin word navis (meaning ship), as in navigate. The nave is the area in the church where everyone gathers for the actual celebration of the Mass. It is the ship of the church. Sitting in the nave, we are facing the sanctuary as we worship the Lord with others in the congregation. Every pew in the nave should be focused on the same thing: God in the sanctuary.

After the legalization of Christianity, new church buildings were constructed with open naves in which people stood or knelt down. They were also once separated by gender as they worshiped, continuing the similar practice of separation that took place in the Jewish synagogue. The function of the nave remains. It is not a theater or auditorium, but a place for worship where earth meets heaven.

As we enter into the nave, we are invited to renew our baptismal promise at the holy water font. We then proceed into the pews, where we kneel, sit, and stand throughout the Liturgy. We are called to be active participants in the Mass, building each other up in the Lord. We proceed through the nave toward the sanctuary (toward heaven) to receive the heavenly food of Holy Communion. As we come to the Lord in the Eucharist, we can imagine the multitude of all our guardian angels adoring God. They see the divine realities behind what we see with our human senses. We are strengthened by Gods Word and the Eucharist while on the ship to salvation.

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.