SUMMARY

1. As the Eucharist is the most important service, so the altar at which it is celebrated is the most important part of the church.  And every church is so built as to lead our eyes to it.

2. In the early days, the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs (underground burial tunnels) in Rome were used by the Christians as altars, and our altars today are made in the same shape.  The candles remind us of Jesus, the Light of the World.  The crucifix recalls his offering of himself for our salvation, and that is also the central offering in the Eucharist itself.

3. On or near the altar the Blessed Sacrament is kept.  Nearby a white light always burns as a sign of Jesus’ Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Reference

Dearmer, P. (1909) Everyman’s history of the English Church, London: A.R. Mowbray & Co Ltd.