Where no tabernalce is present

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I have no problem with the tabernacle in a side chapel. I prefer it in the front and center, however with my primitive catholic leanings and knowledge that the early churches kept the tabernacle in a side chapel up until 1279 AD, I do not believe it is wrong to have the tabernacle in the side chapel but as most people prefer it in the center, the Church should at least accomodate that.

ewtn.com/library/LITURGY/TABERNCL.TXT
 
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TJD:
I attend Mass on a Military base. We do some of the strangest stuff with our sacramentals.

First off, no tabernacle in the chapel. Two reasons, We Catholics would not tolerate placing Jesus in a common room. Also, the other people who use the room would rather we not put him there either. We have a Blessed Sacrament Chapel where the Tabernacle is. This is a holy room used very much like a side chapel anywhere else. We are very protective of this sacred space.

Second, we have a large crucifix mounted on the wall. When we use the common area it is on display. When the Protestants use the area the crucifix is hidden and a plain cross is displayed. (We use the empty cross during the Easer season). When neither are required both are hidden behind a curtain.

Third, we have two nice statues on display during Mass, one of the Blessed Virgin and one of St. Joseph. When anybody else uses the room the statues are hidden behind doors.

Fourth, the alter is an unadorned large wooden table with a white cloth covering. We place the Book of the Gospels on it during the Liturgy of the Word, except of course when our Deacon or Priest is reading from it. The Alter serves our Priest during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

We have and ambo. We have kneelers. We have a presiders Chair behind the Alter. We display 8 color banners (4 on each side of the chapel down the side aisles) to mark the season of the liturgical year. We have stations of the cross displayed on the wall. (The stations are removed when necessary.) We have a nice big font for Holy water that gets closed up and placed aside when not in use.

You get the point. Hardly ideal, but functional.

We have a similiar problem at the prison. Other religions use our chapel. Recently, the inmates won a lawsuit allowing them to practice devil worship and witchcraft as a religion. We don’t want any holy items to be left around to be mis-used by them.
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TobyLue:
What would your reply be to this situation:
In many churchs where the tabernacle is hidden somewhere in the building and there is none in the main church, there is usually all sorts of commotions going on before mass begins. Kids running around, people laughing, talking loudly, joking around. In other words just like a big carnival. When one of the deacons was confronted as to why no reverence nor silence so that people coming in can kneel and pray, the reply was “It is perfectly OK for people to talk, laugh and have kids run around because we dont have the tabernacle present”…

Shouldnt there still be reverence since it SHOULD be a holy place?

You replies please.

Thanks…
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Okay, I will try to answer this, I will probably be given a lynching for what I say but here goes. Also this answer, for me at least, holds true in either case.

For Adults, there should be reverence, however that does not necessarily mean no quiet talking before Mass as long as it is not disturbing of others. However, in Christs presence, if he were there bodily, I wonder if he would say to us about our somber faces. I also wonder how much travelling and ministry would have been done by our Lord if the Apostles would have always been on their knees when our Lord walked the earth among them.

For Children, I have a hard time with this. Christ was especially fond of children, and I can’t make up my mind if he would want them acting like little adults, or just simply being children in His presence. If He was standing there bodily would He expect the children to have the same behaviour as the adults would?

Children of course need to be kept under control and do need to be taught reverence, but until they are able to understand it, one cannot expect them to act like little adults. They are in a holy place, but they still need to be children.

Whenever I am in Church, and children seem disruptive, I stop and think of what our Lord said.

*Mark 10:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. *

***Mt 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. ** *

I am then able to smile a little, and thank the Lord that the only cross I am bearing at that moment is the small disruption caused by those he loves most.

To summarize, I think it bothers us more than it bothers Him.
 
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