This essay HERE, on the symbolism of the Baldachinno is very good and not something that I was really familiar with until recently. In Augusta, St. Mary on the Hill where I would attend Mass on occasion when I was young, had a very nice wood carved Baldachinno, but with their refurbishment of their church, they pulled the altar away from underneath and placed the Blessed Sacrament under it. My seminary chapel had a very beautiful Baldachinno, but the seminary too had place the new altar out from underneath it. Of course the most famous example is St. Peter Basilica and the other Roman basilicas. Fortunately the altars are still underneath.
For many years new churches in Pre-Vatican II times even with modern altars, had to have some type of simple canopy over the altar. If you look at the old altar at St. Joseph there is an appearance of one over the table of the old high altar.
I believe that the theology of the "marriage bed" ties in well with both the Sacraments of Holy Orders and Holy Matrimony signifying in one way or another the "bridal" relationship of Christ to His Church, which indeed is spousal. In this regard you can understand why it is necessary for the primary sign of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest himself, to be a male if he is to be the sacramental sign of Christ the Bridegroom when the priest celebrates Mass.
If you missed my link about this, press here: SYMBOLISM OF THE BALDACHINNO
Look above the crucifixion scene and you will see a canopy like structure over the old high altar of St. Joseph Church:
Small view of St. Mary on the Hill's Baldachinno:
9 comments:
The symbolism that is expressed by the Baldachinno is the most beautiful, sacred, and joyful, for it expresses the ultimate love that Christ has for us, His bride. When I first learned about the Baldachinno, I was overwhelmed with a sense of joy, about how much our Lord loves, me, and the rest of the Church, and at the same time I also felt a sense of shame, because I was not worthy of such Love, because I have not been able to give this love back freely and unconditionally. It has made me acutely aware of the true meaning of Holiness. The imagery that the Baldachinno sends a powerful message of the beauty of the Eucharist, and our intimate relationship with our Lord. I have shared this with Catholics and protestants I have found that both where unaware of the meaning expressed by the Baldachinno, but they also have shared with me how beautiful it is. once again it is a key element that should have never been set aside or removed from Church design.
This symbolism is carried over to Eucharistic Processiions isn't it, where the Blessed Sacrament is covered by a canopy?
As I have said many times, the more I learn about the Traditional ways of our faith the more eureka moments I have. Things fit together, are linked in a cohesive way in the old faith. The practices, or changes, we have adopted post Vatican II oftern seem disconnected or contrived.
By the way, that was a lovely post Mackja
Be careful that the metaphor ("Marriage bed," "bridal relationship," etc) is not confused with the reality.
I think that those of faith don't confuse the real thing for the partial reality, they know the Mass is the true and most exhilerating reality!
But, since we are having fun with metaphor, perhaps a bit of ecclessiastical contraception would have served the Church well in your case...
Pater, what a juvenile comment for a Priest to make. I suppose this distaste for traditional metaphor goes hand in hand with your disdain for the EF Mass, as well as with your infatuation with the so-called "ecumenical" movement. Naturally, you would not approve of any expression of worship or metaphor which might be offensive to Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, Wickans, Earth Mamas, or Shamanism of any kind. Well, here's another thought: "When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas."
I have no distaste for traditional metaphor. I have a "distaste" for confusing the metaphor with the reality it is describing.
Metaphor is not "partial reality." It is a comparison or an analogy. What happens at mass is Truth. A metaphor describing what happens is not Truth. Basing theology (or policy) on the metaphor, not on the Truth described, is highly problematic.
If embracing the Church's teaching on ecumenism is an "infatuation," then I am guilty . . . and happily so.
It is a Biblical metaphor in the service of analogia. There are many such metaphors...the vineyard, the sheepfold, etc. I don't think there is any real danger of anyone confusing the metaphor with the reality. Just what theology "based upon metaphor" is your concern? The "bridegroom" analogy is Biblical. It is alright to base theology on that,isn't it?
Pater, there is a difference in the Church's "teaching" on ecumenism and the reality of the current understanding of it. I really don't think the Church had in mind putting her stamp of approval on unbelief masquerading as Christianity. It is one thing to evangelize the heathen, quite another to consort with apostasy.
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