Originally published at Orange County Catholic
AS FAR BACK AS Moses in the Old Testament, the tabernacle has been a place for people to encounter God’s presence. When the Hebrew tribes wandered through the desert before reaching the Promised Land, they used a tent or small sanctuary to house the Holy of Holies.
Now, in designs that are as varied as the Catholic churches that house them, tabernacles are where the consecrated Body of Christ is reserved and worshiped.
Located in Blessed Sacrament chapels or in alcoves off to the side of altars, tabernacles can be considered the heart of the worship space.
“The tabernacle is where you find the enduring presence of Christ,” said Fr. Al Baca, Episcopal Vicar for Ecumenism and Inter-religion for the Diocese of Orange. “The tabernacle is the silent presence of Christ among us. It is a powerful invitation to believers to approach God in moments of peace and of pain. We meet Christ most perfectly in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Mass. The reserved Eucharist in the tabernacle affords us the opportunity to engage Christ in the quiet, in reflection.
The Garden Grove campus of Christ Cathedral is home to three tabernacles. One recently was installed, and the