The Altar

THE FIRST MASS SAID AT THE THIS ALTAR WAS CHRISTMAS EVE, 1936.   SINCE THEN, UPWARDS OF 60,000 MASSES HAVE BEEN SAID AT SHRINE’S ALTAR.  THAT’S AN ESTIMATED NUMBRER OF TIMES THAT HIS PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THE EUCHARIST, THE FOOD OF ETERNAL LIFE, THE PRECIOUS BODY, BLOOD, SOUL AND DIVINITY OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  THE ALTAR IS A SOLID BLOCK OF MARBLE FROM CARRARA ITALY.  SCULPTORS FROM ANCIENT DAYS TO TODAY’S ARTISANS SOUGHT OUT CARRARA MARBLE FOR THEIR BEST WORKS.   SHRINE’S ALTAR IS THE LARGEST MONOLITH IN THE US WEIGHING 18 TONS AND MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 3’ TALL, 5’ WIDE AND 12’ LONG.  UPON CONSECRATION IN 1936, RELICS OF ST. THERESE, ST. TIMOTHY AND ST. THEOPOLIS WERE PLACED IN THE ALTAR.  ST. THERESE, OUR PATRON SAINT, WAS CANONIZED IN 1925 A YEAR BEFORE THE FIRST SHRINE OF THE LITTLE FLOWER CHURCH WAS BUILT.   ST. TIMOTHY WAS MENTORED BY AND TRAVELED WITH ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE.  ST. THEOPOLIS WAS A CHURCH CLERIC WHO DIED IN 538 AD.  FACING THE ST. THERESE CHAPEL, ON THE FRONT OF THE ALTAR, THERE ARE TWO PEACOCKS DRINKING FROM A FOUNTAIN.  THIS IS AN EARLY CHRISTIAN SYMBOL OF ETERNAL LIFE.  THE PEACOCK IS A BEAUTIFUL BIRD.  BUT, WITH ITS FEATHERS OPENED WIDE IT IS EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL.  GOD CREATED AND LOVES US.  THOUGH WE’RE SINNERS, WE ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT.  LIKE THE PEACOCKS, WE WILL BE MORE BEAUTIFUL WHEN “OUR FEATHERS ARE OPENED” AND WE ENTER ETERNAL LIFE AND FULLY BECOME THE PERSON GOD INTENDS US TO BE.  THE SIDE OF THE ALTAR THAT FACES THE TABERNACLE, DEPICTS A CARVING OF THE WOUNDED AND VICTORIOUS LAMB WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE RISEN CHRIST.  THE LAMB STANDS OVER A CUP AND POURS OUT ITS BLOOD FOR US.  IN LATIN, THE WORDS HOLY, HOLY, HOLY ENCIRCLE THE LAMB.  CARVED ON THE CORNERS ARE GRAPEVINES AND GRAPES WHICH REPRESENT THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST.  CARVED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ALTAR ARE “ART DECO” LOOKING CHAFFS OF WHEAT, REPRESENTING THE PRECIOUS BODY OF CHRIST.   TOGETHER THESE DEPICT BOTH SPECIES OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST.  FR. COUGHLIN CONSIDERED MANY ARCHITECTURAL PLANS FOR THE NEW CHURCH.  BUT HE ESPECIALLY LIKED THE PLANS OF THE CHURCH “IN THE ROUND” WITH THE ALTAR IN THE CENTER AS SUBMITTED BY HENRY MCGILL OF NEW YORK.  FR. COUGHLIN BELIEVED THAT AS CHRIST SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OUR LIVES, THE HOLY EUCHARIST SHOULD BE THE CENTER OF MASS.