Answering Some Common Questions

Welcome back to Ordinary Time in the Church. We call it Ordinary time, even though the time in the Church is always special, it is called that because it is not one of the special seasons like Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. We switch back to the green color which represents growth and vitality, like the trees and grass growing. Sometimes I get asked questions on what is done and why we do things the way that we do. So, I am going to use this article to answer a few questions that I have been asked.

Why did I have the chairs at the altar moved from the East side of the sanctuary space to the South side? I did this so that the chairs are facing the altar better as well as being able to face the ambo (the place where the readings are proclaimed.) Within the Church, the primary point of focus should always be the altar, which is a reminder of the altar of sacrifice from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, but instead of doing animal sacrifices, we are reminded of the sacrifice of Christ in which he gives us his Body and Blood for our spiritual nourishment.

Why do I only distribute Holy Communion on the north side of the church? The first and easiest reason, is that is what I was told had been the practice here at St. Luke’s. But there is also a practical reason for it, we have a number of parishioners who have a gluten allergy. We have a supply of the very low gluten hosts and those who use them are instructed to come to my line, and so I always distribute from the same place, so they know which side of the church to sit on. There are specific requirements for the bread and the wine we use at Mass, the bread must be made from wheat and can only have salt and water as ingredients. The wine must only be made from grapes and cannot have any other flavorings in it.

Why have I been using a different main chalice for Mass? This is my personal chalice and I am planning on using it during some of the special seasons in the Church. This chalice was originally given to Fr Patrick Bacon in 1955 from his parents. He was the priest who first asked me to consider being a priest. Once I was close to ordination, my parents found out that Fr Chris Hartshorn had the chalice, and he graciously allowed me to have it. It means a great deal to me.

Why do I not genuflect when I go to the tabernacle to get the reserved Blessed Sacrament during Mass? I do not genuflect when I get it, because I have just turned away from the Blessed Sacrament at the altar and am still in the presence of Jesus in both places. I do however genuflect when I replace the ciboria (the bowl that holds the consecrated hosts) back into the tabernacle out of reverence for our Lord and Savior in the Eucharist.

If you have any other questions, feel free to send them to me!

Fr. Ken Halbur

stlukes

St. Luke's is a young Catholic Church in Ankeny, Iowa. We're located at 1102 NW Weigel Drive.