The altar of repose is a temporary altar where the Communion hosts consecrated on Maundy Thursday during the Mass of the Lord's Supper are placed, or "reserved", for use on the following day, Good Friday.
Good Friday is the day we commemorate Christ's Death, followed by the Eater Vigil on Saturday and the commemoration of Christ's death on Easter Sunday.
Communion hosts thus cannot be consecrated, and any hosts used on Good Friday or for viaticum for the dying must have been consecrated beforehand. The Altar and meditation area represents the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night He was arrested. After stripping the main Altar, the Sacrament is transferred by a procession to the Altar of Repose. This procession typically occurs during the reading of Psalm 22.
This tradition can be found in Roman Catholic, Catholic, Anglican (especially Anglo-Catholic), and some Lutheran churches. The decoration of the Altar of repose should be unique: at least several candles or lamps, and preferably more, should burn around it and should be tastefully arranged with flowers, drapes, refined cloths, carpets, and use of subdued electric lighting to create the necessary ambiance of silence and meditation. Spending some quiet time at the Altar in mediation and prayer is traditional. Finally, it is processed back into the church's main Altar on Good Friday for the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified, where it is all consumed.
Thankfulness and Saving Faith: A Trinity 14 Reflection
Why did only one leper return to Jesus? In Luke 17:11-19, all ten lepers received physical healing, but only one returned to thank Christ. Fr. Dan explains that gratitude is more than good manners. It is the response of a heart that recognizes God’s mercy and seeks relationship with the Giver rather than simply enjoying the gift. Through thanksgiving, the Samaritan received not only cleansing but true spiritual wholeness.
Love That Crosses the Road: The Good Samaritan and Grace
The Good Samaritan teaches us that Christian love is more than feeling sympathy or performing respectable religious duties. Because Christ has first shown mercy to us, we are called to cross the road, draw near to those in need, and make His love visible through acts of compassion.
Ephphatha: Hearing God’s Voice Above Life’s Noise
In this Trinity 12 sermon on Mark 7:31-37, Fr. Dan reflects on Jesus healing the deaf man and connects the miracle to modern spiritual deafness caused by constant noise, distraction, and technology. Christ’s command, “Ephphatha” (“Be opened”), becomes a call for Christians to seek silence, hear God’s voice, and be transformed by His grace.