August 30, 2026 • Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parish Family,

Last week, we reflected on the altar’s unique place in Catholic worship. It is not simply a table or a piece of church furniture. It is the place of Christ’s sacrifice, the table of the Eucharistic banquet, and, most importantly, a sign of Christ himself.  So how does a new altar become an altar dedicated permanently to the worship of God?

The Church gives us a beautiful series of signs, and each one tells us something about Christ—and something about ourselves.  There is a Sprinkling Rite at the beginning of Mass.   The people are sprinkled with Blessed Water to remind them of their baptism.  When he returns to the altar, the bishop will sprinkle blessed water on the altar. 

Following the Liturgy of the Word, the Litany of the Saints is sung. Before the Church dedicates the altar, she calls upon the Church in heaven to pray with us. Relics of saints have already been placed beneath the altar as a reminder of the earliest Christians who celebrated the Eucharist at the tombs of the martyrs. Their lives had become an offering because they had united themselves completely to the sacrifice of Christ.

Then the bishop prays the solemn Prayer of Dedication, asking God to accept this altar and set it apart permanently for divine worship. The bishop then pours Sacred Chrism upon the altar and spreads it across its surface. Chrism is used in  Baptism and Confirmation. A priest’s hands are anointed with it at his ordination. The word Christ means “the Anointed One.” The altar is anointed because the altar represents Christ.

Then incense is burned upon the altar with smoke billowing to the rafters, recalling the words of the psalmist: “Let my prayer be incense before you.” The church and the people are incensed as well, showing that the Church will not allow us simply to stand back and admire a newly dedicated altar. We are part of what is happening. The altar is set apart for God, but we too were set apart for God at our Baptism.

After the anointing and incensation, the altar is wiped clean and covered with a white cloth. The symbolism begins to change. We see more clearly now not only the altar of sacrifice, but also the table of the Lord’s banquet. Then the candles are lighted. The altar and the church are filled with light. Christ is the Light of the World.

And finally, something very familiar happens. Bread and wine are brought forward. The Eucharist is celebrated upon the altar. The newly dedicated altar receives the Body and Blood of Christ.

The altar is washed. We were washed in Baptism. The altar is anointed. We were anointed. The altar is set apart for God. We belong to God. The altar is illuminated. We have received the light of Christ. The altar receives the Body of Christ. We receive the Body of Christ.  The altar belongs to God. And so do we.

Grace and peace!
Father Neil Sullivan