October, 8, 2024
Dear Friends,
On October 21, the community will celebrate that day in 1988 when the abbey church was solemnly dedicated. What does this mean? In the words of the Rite of Dedication, we are instructed that from early times, ‘church’ has been given the name to the building in which the Christian community gathers to hear the word of God, to pray together, to receive the sacraments and to celebrate the Eucharist.
This visible building, which we call church, then stands as a special sign of the pilgrim Church on earth and reflects the Church dwelling in heaven. It is quite fitting that it be dedicated to God with a solemn rite, and it is in accordance with the ancient custom of the Church. So, the very nature of a church truly demands that it be suited to sacred celebrations, dignified, not in a costly display, but it should, and it is very important that it stands as a sign and a symbol of heavenly realities.
Within this sacred rite of dedication, there are rites of anointing, incensing, covering, and lighting the altar, which express in these visible signs the very aspects of the invisible work that the Lord accomplishes through the Church in its celebration of the divine mysteries—especially the eucharist.
There is an anointing then of the altar and the walls of the church. The altar is anointed with chrism which makes the altar a symbol of Christ. Christ was anointed by the Father with the Holy Spirit, and so Christ was constituted as the High Priest so that on the altar of his body, he might offer the sacrifice of his life for salvation. As we know in the Eucharist, Christ is sacrificed on the altar every time it is offered.
The walls of the Church are anointed twelve times, which symbolizes that the church is an image of the holy city of Jerusalem. Then, incense is burned on the altar, signifying that Christ’s sacrifice perpetuated in mystery is ascending to God as an odor of sweetness, and the people’s prayers will rise, pleasing and acceptable, reaching the throne of God.
Even the nave of the church is incensed, indicating that the dedication makes it a house of prayer, and so are the people attending the dedication incensed—because they are the living temples in which each member is a spiritual altar.
The altar is finally dressed and clothed which signifies that it is the Lord’s table at which all God’s people will be joyously met to be refreshed by this divine food—the very body and blood of Christ. And finally, there is the lighting of the altar reminding us that Christ is a “light to the enlighten the nations.”
This is such a solemn rite that it makes the church a community gathering in which we can hear the word of God, offer intercession and praise, and, above all, celebrate the holy mysteries. The dedication denotes that this is not just an ordinary building but a sacred place of worship. It becomes God’s house, and truly, it is a sacred place, as the Temple in Jerusalem was a sacred place.
If you were present at the abbey, you were surely enriched and blessed by participating in this most holy of rites. I wish I could say that I was there myself, but I was studying in Rome for the Holy Priesthood, and I would become the first ordained priest in the abbey church. Every year, on the anniversary of the dedication, we give thanks that we have this special place in which to truly praise and give thanks to Almighty God.
f. Abbot Sharbel Ewen, O.S.B.
Prince of Peace Abbey
