THEOLOGICAL and LITURGICAL UNDERSTANDING of GESTURES, VENERATION and SYMBOLISM with Regard to the Altar and Their Implications for Today

In every church, the altar is centrally located. The altar has been an object of great veneration since the earliest days of the Catholic Church. The very first act of the mass is veneration to the altar. The mass is God’s work where the People of God participate. All actions in the liturgy are oriented toward the altar. It is at the altar that God meets man and a wonderful exchange takes place. Liturgy is the action of God through the church. In this action, man surrenders himself through gestures, veneration, and symbols. Bishop Manuel Nin, O.S.B., Titular Bishop of Carcabia, Apostolic Exarch of Greece wrote, In his book, Fr Alexander shows us in a beautiful, catechetical and above all mystagogical way the role and place of the altar in the Christian tradition, with all the symbolism and liturgical gestures around the altar, and finally highlights in a beautiful way, the theology that it flows from, and the liturgical celebration in and around the altar. About the Author: Rev. Alexander Mariadass, of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, was ordained for the Diocese of Coimbatore. His assignments included: Vice-Rector of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Coimbatore, India followed by Asst. Pastor at three Churches and Pastor at a fourth church. Father Alexander has a Licentiate in Liturgy from The Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm in Rome and a doctorate in Missiology from the Pontifical Urban University of Rome. More books are listed by the publisher, William R. Parks, at www.wrparks.com