Mass Was Never “A Supper on an Eating Table”

From the beginning, Mass was a sacred rite performed in a sacred place on a sacred table with the priest facing east.

It was never a “common supper” on an eating table, Monsignor Stefan Heid, Rector of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, explained to IlTimone.it (January).

Christ instituted Mass during a privileged solemn meal with servants in which people ate in a reclining position. But the rite of Mass was handed down as a specific, distinct rite. 1 Cor 10,21 shows that one sacred table (“table of the Lord”) was introduced.

This was not a dining table. Heid explains that “sacred table” (cf. Mal 1,7.12) and “altar” are interchangeable terms. Likewise, the chalice is not a vessel of common use but the "cup of the Lord" or the "cup of blessing".

Also, the tablecloth has nothing to do with civilised eating habits but is a sign of dignity.

Heid’s conclusion, “The modern model of liturgy, in the style of a religious entertainment event, has little to do with the seriousness of the early churches.”

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