On Monday, September 24th, Bishop Strickland celebrated the dedication of the new parish church at Christ the King in Kilgore, TX.
This particular mass is an incredible event. Most Catholics do not get to see this liturgy in their lifetime. In this liturgy, the Altar is consecrated. To “Consecrate” is to set something apart for a holy purpose. In the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, we are all consecrated to live a holy life in friendship with God. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is consecrated for priestly ministry. Sacred vessels, like a chalice, are consecrated for containing the most holy Eucharist.
The altar is consecrated for the mass. In the mass, the priest offers the unbloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ to God the Father. This sacrifice is one and the same sacrifice as the paschal mystery (Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, and ascension). This altar is not just a table. It is the place where our Lord Jesus Christ offers himself to the Father for all of us. It is the place where he makes himself present to us and invites us to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).
