A study of the mass- the tabernacle
When you sit in a church there are a lot of things to look at; the priest, other people, the alter, the crucifix, statues and a million other things that could grab your attention. But there is one thing in the church building that is above all others: Jesus Christ. We believe and know that the Eucharist is truly Jesus. After the consecrated Eucharist is distributed at mass all the extras are placed in the tabernacle. This means that whenever you go into a Catholic church, regardless of if mass is taking place, Jesus is there. He is present during mass but he is also present when you go into a church for confession, a meeting, a Christmas concert or in the middle of the night when no one is inside the church.
When I take part in mass I find it helpful to focus my thoughts and attention on the tabernacle. When I pray I can look at the tabernacle and know that I am really praying to Jesus. When I listen to the Gospel readings I can look at the tabernacle and hear Jesus saying the words to me today. After communion I can watch the Eucharist being placed back in the tabernacle. When we genuflect we are not genuflecting to the priest or to the alter but to Jesus in the tabernacle. I have found that when I have more love and respect for Jesus in the tabernacle, I can recognize Jesus more in the mass.
