Altar, Ambo and Cathedra

Recently we celebrated the anniversary of the Dedication of our Archdiocesan Cathedral, Christ the King.  The word cathedral comes from the Latin word cathedra which means chair.  In each diocese or archdiocese, the cathedral is the church which contains the chair of the Bishop.  

Similarly, at St. Thomas Aquinas and in each local parish, the chair of the priest-presider is considered "a symbol of his office of presiding over the assembly and of directing prayer." (Ceremonial of Bishops)   The priest’s chair is one of three key ritual furnishings which are designed for the sanctuary.  The other two are the ambo and the altar.

The ambo is the place where the word of God is proclaimed during the liturgy.  It is intended to reflect the dignity and nobility of God’s word.  “Here the Christian community encounters the Living Lord in the word of God and prepares itself for the ‘breaking of the bread’ and the mission to live the word that will be proclaimed.” (Built of Living Stones)

Because the altar is the table on which the ritual meal, which makes Christ present, is prepared and offered, it is considered the centerpiece of the sanctuary and of the celebration of the Mass.  The Church requires the altar to “be so placed as to be truly the center toward which the attention of the whole congregation naturally turns.” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal)

The Introduction to the Lectionary recommends that the design of the ambo and altar bear an "harmonious and close relationship" to one another in order to emphasize the close relationship between word and eucharist.  “The Church is nourished spiritually at the table of God’s word and at the table of the eucharist:  from the one it grows in wisdom and from the other in holiness.”  From the ambo the covenant between God and God’s people is announced.  From the altar the covenant is renewed and ratified.  Both are considered tables from which we are fed.