The Sacramental Life

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Really Our Brothers

Dear Catholic Exchange:

I was very glad to see Mark Shea's article [“Christians in a Hostile World“] talking about the common ground between Catholics and evangelical Protestants. While no one has to convince me that our Church is truly founded by Christ and is the place He wants all the baptized to be, I am glad to see someone remembering the things we have in common with our evangelical brothers and sisters. As a convert from the Southern Baptist Convention who lives with a Baptist and works everyday with mostly Baptists, I am acutely aware of the differences between our Church's teachings and those of evangelicals, and I believe that what they are missing out on – the sacraments, Our Lady, etc – is truly sad. At the same time, they really are our brothers and sisters in Christ and we must never obscure this fact.

Thanks to Mark Shea for highlighting this truth; I too have asked for the intercession of Cassie Bernall.

Kimberly

Eucharistic Reservation

Dear Catholic Exchange:

This is in regard to “The Place of Eucharistic Reservation” by Bishop Robert H Brom, Diocese of San Diego, CA, dated April 17, 2002.

I would like to comment on the placement of the Blessed Sacrament as indicated in this memo. According to Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite, #78:

The mind of the Church was expressed well by Pope Paul VI, who described the tabernacle as 'the living heart of each of our churches'.

If this be the case then shouldn't the tabernacle be placed in the heart of our churches and not off in a “reservation chapel”? I have never found the placement of the tabernacle behind the altar in the center of the church to be in competition with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Rather, more respect and quiet are found in churches where the tabernacle is front and center. God's house should be a house of prayer where the Supreme Host of His house is found just by walking in the door.

Instead, many of our churches have turned into noisy meeting halls. Everyone entering church should be there for only one reason and that is to give glory to God. I think we need to stop discussing where else to place the tabernacle and bring Our Lord back to where He belongs and that is in the center of His Church where He resides.

Respectfully submitted,

Peg Donnelly

Eucharistic Reservation Part 2

Dear Catholic Exchange:

I was surprised when I read “The Place of Eucharistic Reservation” article.

This article quotes the outdated 1975 GIRM 276 which has been replaced in the new 2000 version. The old version encourages a seperate chapel as the norm whereas the new version seems to reverse this idea of preference for reservation in a seperate chapel.

I'm sure many of your readers would enjoy being made aware of the new guidelines. The 2000 GIRM states:

The Most Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a tabernacle in a part of the church which is noble, worthy, conspicuous, well decorated and suitable for prayer. (314)

Two options for such a location follow:

a. either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, in the most suitable form and place, not excluding on an old altar which is no longer used for celebration;

b. or even in another chapel suitable for adoration and the private prayer of the faithful, and which is integrally connected with the church and is conspicuous to the faithful. (315)

This can be found on the UCCB website, which states:

On Holy Thursday, 2000, Pope John Paul II approved the revised Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, popularly known as the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The present revision replaces the 1975 edition of the Institutio Generalis and is now available in Latin from the Vatican Press and in an English language study edition from the NCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy. This summary is offered to our readers in order to provide an introduction to some of the new aspects of this important liturgical document.

Sincerely,

Marty Pitstick

Dear Mr. Pitstick,

Thanks. We erred in re-running an article from Bishop Brom that pre-dated the 2000 GIRM.

In Christ,

Tom Allen

Editor & President

Catholic Exchange