What do you do when the tabernacle isn't visible?

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Liza,
I’m sorry for going on about this like I did. I don’t know what your experiences have been, maybe really bad. I don’t think Jesus should be pushed off to the side either and this is probably happening in some places. I apologize if I was disrespectful of you and seemed to be ignoring your concern which is a valid one; I get carried away when I’m trying to prove my opinion is right, even if it may not be.
Claire
 
Claire_from_DE said:
Liza,
I’m sorry for going on about this like I did. I don’t know what your experiences have been, maybe really bad. I don’t think Jesus should be pushed off to the side either and this is probably happening in some places. I apologize if I was disrespectful of you and seemed to be ignoring your concern which is a valid one; I get carried away when I’m trying to prove my opinion is right, even if it may not be.
Claire
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Don’t worry Claire, and thank you so much for this post. I’ve been wanting to respond to your comments, but it’s been crazy busy at work today. I will try to come back later. 🙂

~Liza
 
The first thing I’d do is to look around and make sure I was in a Catholic church. And if I was I go find a different Catholic church (one more Traditional).
 
The tabernacle at our parish in an adoration chapel. I often visit the chapel before or after Mass for prayer. When Mass is celebrated in the chapel, I genuflect before entering the pew; and when Mass is celebrated in the main sanctuary, I bow toward the altar before entering the pew.
 
During Mass, and during Mass only, one bows to the Altar. The priest, the readers, the ushers, everyone bows when passing the altar. Genuflection is proper respect any other time. What I do befor Mass when I visit such a parish, is that I seek out the side tabernacle and pass that way to genuflect. Even if I can’t walk by the chapel, I still genuflect toward the side where the tabernacle resides. It is an unfortunate problem I have noticed in most such churches that this reverence becomes a rarity.
 
On a side note:

This thread just reminded me of something I witnessed in my university years (as a protestant).
While travelling on inter-city buses, I noticed some people crossing themselves when the bus passed by certain churches. My memory suggests that they were Eastern Orthodox (due to the architectural style).
So to genuflect towards the chapel seems to me to be an appropriate sign of reverence.

Now back to the OP …
 
The_Reginator said:
On a side note:

This thread just reminded me of something I witnessed in my university years (as a protestant).
While travelling on inter-city buses, I noticed some people crossing themselves when the bus passed by certain churches. My memory suggests that they were Eastern Orthodox (due to the architectural style).
So to genuflect towards the chapel seems to me to be an appropriate sign of reverence.

Now back to the OP …
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Growing up in Baltimore we did that when passing the church, and men would tip their hats, just a gesture of acknowledging Who was in there. I try to remember to do it today.
 
At my church, we also have a seperate chapel for the tabernacle. This is for perpetual adoration. It is wonderful! Perpetual Adoration is a Eucharistic devotion. Members of our church sign up for hours of adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament both during the day and throughout the night, seven days a week. We have had a vocation for a priest and for a nun from our parish since this devotion began. I love my weekly hour in the chapel. If this is why your tabernacle is in a seperate chapel, then I would say that you have found a good church- sign up for your weekly hour. It will change your life.
 
I know that I’m jumping into the discussion a little late, but I wanted to back up what Claire from DE is saying. One can licitly and reverently have a tabernacle in a side chapel and not in the sanctuary. I have seen several churches that did this well, aethestically and theologically. I have seen a few that have not done it well (again, aethestically and theologically).
 
diggerdomer said:
Bow to the altar.

The Tabernacle is not important during celebration of the Mass.
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What would I do? Find a different church! Our Lord in the tabernacle is the REASON we have Mass! It should be placed “center stage” this is who I pray to Maybe if the priest would turn once again and offer Mass to God, not to the people we would again see that the tabernacle not the priest’s chair or the altar is NOT the center of our attention!
 
garyfigurski said:
What would I do? Find a different church! Our Lord in the tabernacle is the REASON we have Mass! It should be placed “center stage” this is who I pray to Maybe if the priest would turn once again and offer Mass to God, not to the people we would again see that the tabernacle not the priest’s chair or the altar is NOT the center of our attention!
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I think you’re mistaken about the reason for celebrating ad orientem – it has never been so that the priest faces the tabernacle. The tabernacle, in fact, has never particularly been a center of attention during the Mass, which is why, at for instance patriarchal basilicas like St. Peter’s and St. John Lateran, they’ve felt no need whatsoever to have the tabernacle centrally visible.

I support having the tabernacle front and center (except in heavily-trafficked cathedral churches and the like), but I dare say it’s precisely because of confusions like yours that it was seen as desirable by many to move tabernacles and restore the focus on the altar.
 
MarkThompson said:
I think you’re mistaken about the reason for celebrating ad orientem – it has never been so that the priest faces the tabernacle. The tabernacle, in fact, has never particularly been a center of attention during the Mass, which is why, at for instance patriarchal basilicas like St. Peter’s and St. John Lateran, they’ve felt no need whatsoever to have the tabernacle centrally visible.

I support having the tabernacle front and center (except in heavily-trafficked cathedral churches and the like), but I dare say it’s precisely because of confusions like yours that it was seen as desirable by many to move tabernacles and restore the focus on the altar./QUO
The is no confusion , before Vatican II for 1500 years mass did not take place faceing the people , and no it was not to face the tabernacle but to face east .In my opnion if we all face east (symbol) it felt like we were all directing our prayers to one place. The altar is very important but so is who we are offering the mass to.The tabernacle , being The Real Presense shoud be front and center.
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SMHW said:
Bowing to the altar is the proper gesture if the tabernacle is in a separate chapel not visible to those in the nave of the church.
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And who are you bowing to exactly given that the reason for genuflecting is to show recognition that Christ is truly present in the tabernacle and neither the tabernacle or Christ is there?
 
garyfigurski said:
The altar is very important but so is who we are offering the mass to.The tabernacle , being The Real Presense shoud be front and center.
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The focus of the Mass is an offering to God the Father. The Real Presence is that of God the Son. I don’t quite see where you’re going here.
 
MarkThompson said:
The focus of the Mass is an offering to God the Father. The Real Presence is that of God the Son. I don’t quite see where you’re going here.
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Did you ever hear the word Trinity three persons, ONE GOD? Where the Son is so iis the Father and Holy Spirit. (basic Catholic teaching)
 
garyfigurski said:
The is no confusion , before Vatican II for 1500 years mass did not take place faceing the people , and no it was not to face the tabernacle but to face east .In my opnion if we all face east (symbol) it felt like we were all directing our prayers to one place. The altar is very important but so is who we are offering the mass to.The tabernacle , being The Real Presense shoud be front and center.
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In some churches, the people would turn around with their backs to the Consecrated Host in order to look towards the East (at certain points in the liturgy).
 
garyfigurski said:
Did you ever hear the word Trinity three persons, ONE GOD? Where the Son is so iis the Father and Holy Spirit. (basic Catholic teaching)
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Yeah, I’ve heard of it. The three persons are not, however, interchangeable. If at Mass the priest began the Lord’s prayer, “Our Holy Spirit, who art in heaven,” you wouldn’t say, “Well, it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.” The priest would just be confused. Likewise, when you say that the Real Presence in the tabernacle is what we’re offering the sacrifice of the Mass to, you’re unfortunately confused. Yes, it’s God; and yes, the Father is also God, but they’re not fungible.

Like I say, the farther you continue in this vein, the more it justifies those who wanted to remove the tabernacle from its central location because it was subverting the hierarchy of the Mass and confusing the faithful about what was being done. Sorry to have to put it quite that way.
 
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