The Eucharist is the Sacrifice of Jesus

We recently received a donation to get a new altar crucifix and candles. I wanted to take the opportunity to explain why the Church prescribes that the altar should have a crucifix on it. There is a very practical reason.

The altar crucifix is a visual reminder for the priest of what is taking place during the Eucharistic Prayer. As the congregation is uniting itself in prayer with the priest as he prays the Eucharistic Prayer, they are able to see him do the same actions Jesus did at the Last Supper. The people see the priest take the bread, bless it, break it, and give it. At the same time, they are able to look past the priest to the crucifix which stands predominantly in the sanctuary. They are able to see the powerful connection between the event that took place the night of the Last Supper and the event that took place the next day of Good Friday. This connection is essential because we believe that the Eucharist is the re-presentation, the making present again, of the crucifixion. As we say the prayers of the Mass, the sacrifice of Jesus in which we are saved is made present to us. It is prescribed that a crucifix be on the altar so that the priest may see an image of the reality taking place in his hands, just as the people are able to see the large crucifix as the Eucharistic Prayer is prayed.

If you are interested in learning more about the connection between the Eucharist and Crucifixion, I would strongly recommend watching Fr. Mike Schmitz’s talk from the National Eucharist Congress.