On Sunday 27th April 2008 in the presence of Fr. Rupert Everest OSB representing the Trustees of Ampleforth Abbey, Mr. Terry Duffy representing the Trustees of Liverpool Archdiocese, the Architects Michael Hartley and Frederick Shorrock and families, the Marble craftsman, Paul Lupton and family, the Electricians, Graham Ormson and family and the Electricians, with the family of David Coupe, (David’s generous legacy made the project financially possible), together with 350 Parishioners, Bishop Ambrose Griffiths OSB emeritus Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle together with the Parish Priest, Fr. Jonathan Cotton and Fr. Charles Macauley re-consecrated the altar of the Church for which we give glory and thanks to God. Here is a transcript of the homily preached on that day.  

Consecration of the Altar at St Mary’s 27th April 2008

In all ancient sacrifices, both those described in the Old Testament and all pagan sacrifices, there  were always three elements: A victim – something, e.g. an animal, some cereal or wine, to be offered to God. An altar – on which the offering was placed, poured out or burnt, symbolising its being given to God.
A priest – to do the offering. But no victim was ever even remotely worthy of God.  The altar was only a symbolic way of giving the victim to God.   And every priest, being a sinful man like us all, had also to offer sacrifice for his own offences.

Christ’s sacrifice was very different and far, far superior to any other sacrifice ever attempted.  Indeed it was the perfect sacrifice, the only one truly worthy of God.

• What Christ offered was himself – a man, one of us, and equally and fully God – the only sacrifice truly worthy of God.
• Christ himself was the priest – and he was, of course, totally sinless.
• The offering took place on a cross, so we talk about ‘the altar of the cross’, by analogy with pagan sacrifices.  But Jesus did not need any altar to make his sacrifice holy and acceptable to God.  Nothing could be holier than Jesus himself and he freely offered himself to death in a perfect act of love of us and of his Father.

The night before Jesus died he eat the Passover Supper with his disciples.  During this he anticipated his passion and death and committed himself to it by taking the bread, saying the blessing over it, braking it and giving it to his disciples.  And the same with the cup of wine.  By doing this he made holy the table on which he celebrated with his disciples – and all the tables on which the Christian Community would repeat his words and actions and so perpetuate his sacrifice. So our altar is the table both for a sacrifice and for a banquet.  At this table, the priest representing Christ does what Christ himself did and so makes Christ’s sacrifice truly present, and by giving the bread and wine to the people he celebrates the banquet -- in anticipation of the heavenly banquet.

This can be done around any table, anywhere as need dictates.  But it is vital that we do it with great reverence and so it is clearly appropriate that is the church where the community assembles each Sunday there should be not just a temporary, movable altar, but a permanent, fixed altar of worthy and dignified construction.  This has always been the practice of the Church since the Fourth Century

Now Christ is the priest, the victim and the altar of his sacrifice.  In our repetition of the Last Supper in our Mass, the priest represents Christ, the bread and wine do not just represent Christ, but are truly Christ himself, and the altar also represents Christ.  In a certain sense, the altar is Christ.  That is why we bow to the altar (and kiss it) when we enter the church – and of course genuflect if the Blessed Sacrament is present as in our smaller chapel.

Our new altar is to be the site for our most sacred action for many years to come.  It is appropriate that we should solemnly dedicate it to this holy purpose.

• The best possible way of doing this is to celebrate the most holy sacrifice of the Mass on it.  This is the principle act of dedication.
• People at Baptism and Confirmation, and priests and bishops at their Ordination are anointed with the sacred oil of Chrism which symbolises the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Christ himself at his Baptism was anointed with the Holy Spirit and so we anoint the altar which represents Christ with Holy Chrism.
• We honour the gifts at Mass and the Book of the Gospels with incense and so we honour and sanctify the altar with lots of incense which symbolises our prayers ascending with Christ to his Father.
• And finally and very importantly we prepare for all these symbolic actions by asking the intercession of the saints and praying a special prayer of dedication.