Then the priest ascends to the altar and kisses it before going to his chair; the deacon kisses the altar as well. On particularly solemn occasions, the priest may even bless the altar with incense. Why is all this attention paid to the altar? Because the altar is a sign of Christ; according to one of the prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayer during the Easter season, Christ is the “sacerdos, altare et agnus” (“priest, altar, and lamb”) of His sacrifice.
In the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, two prayers accompany the approaching and kissing of the altar. As he ascends the steps to the altar, the priest prays that the Lord remove our iniquity so that we might enter the Sancta Sanctorum (“Holy of Holies”) worthily, with pure minds. This prayer is not present in the Ordinary Form, but the priest should still be aware of its sentiment as he approaches the altar of sacrifice. In the prayer that accompanies the kissing of the altar, the priest asks God pardon for his sins, by the merits of His “saints whose relics are here” and of all the saints. While this prayer is not found in the Ordinary Form, the Church has retained the ancient tradition of placing relics of saints within the altar stone. (cf. GIRM 302) This practice calls to mind the early history of the Church, when persecuted Christians used martyrs’ tombs for altars. (cf. Baltimore Catechism III 937) By kissing the altar above the place where the relics are reserved, the priest silently declares his union with and affection for the saints who have gone before him. This kiss is a “holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16), a “kiss of love” (1 Pet. 5:14), for Christ and for His Church and her members. It is a kiss by which we begin to learn that the liturgy is “the purest and most sublime school of love.” (The Splendour of the Liturgy, p. 38)
