St. Mary Magdalene Byzantine Catholic Church

 

The central act of worship for Catholics, and Orthodox, is the offering of Bread and Wine upon the Holy Table and their consecration and change by the action of the Holy Spirit into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, fulfilling our Lord’s promise to be with us “until the end of time.” (Matthew 28:20)  Thus, just as heaven and earth once met in the womb of the Most Holy Theotokos, so do heaven and earth meet in the holy space, the sacred altar, each and every time the Divine Liturgy is celebrated and we, the faithful, receive our Lord in holy communion.  St. John Chrysostom cites the well-known John 3:16 in his anaphora prayer as the principal reason that we gather and give thanks and praise to our Lord in worship:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

 

There are two other tables in the Altar space, one for the preparation of the Eucharistic elements prior to their consecration and one for other liturgical implements and needs. There is also seating for the celebrant and others attending to the practices of worship.