This tabernacle is not just a place to store the Holy Sacrament. It is designed in the shape of the Ark of the Covenant, as we know it from the Old Testament. The Jews carried this ark with them on their journeys through the desert after their liberation from Egypt. Inside the ark were the stone tablets containing the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, the covenant between God and His people. For us Christians, this tabernacle refers to the ark of the New Covenant. No longer the stone tablets, but Christ Himself dwells in this tabernacle – present in the consecrated bread, which during the Eucharist has become the Body of Christ. This is not just a symbol: we believe that Jesus is truly, physically and permanently present in the Holy Sacrament. That is why we speak with reverence about the tabernacle as a dwelling place of God among men. Three half-reliefs are affixed to this tabernacle. Each of these images connects the Old Testament with the Eucharist and helps us to understand more deeply what is hidden here in this small, golden house. On the right-hand side, we see the prophet Elijah. He is exhausted, discouraged, and wants to give up his mission. But an angel of the Lord awakens him, brings him bread and a jug of water, and says, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too hard for you.’ Elijah receives food — not just any food, but a gift from God himself — and regains the strength to continue his journey. In the same way, the Eucharist is food for those who are weary, for those who lack the strength to continue. Christ himself comes to feed us. On the left, we see Moses leading the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. The people are thirsty, hungry, and discouraged. But every day, God provides for them: He sends manna from heaven — food that is enough for each day. In this way, He feeds His people on their journey to the Promised Land. In the Eucharist, we receive the true Bread from heaven, not only as a reminder of the past, but as a living gift from Christ that nourishes us on our journey through life. At the front, we see an encounter between two biblical figures: Abram and Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Little is said about Melchizedek in Scripture, but what little there is is significant: he is a king of justice (Melchi-zedek) and of peace (Salem). He brings Abram bread and wine and blesses him. This act makes Melchizedek a priestly figure: someone who blesses and nourishes in the name of God. In the Letter to the Hebrews, Melchizedek becomes a prefiguration of Christ himself, the eternal High Priest. Christ blesses us, He nourishes us, He gives us bread and wine — which in the Eucharist have become His Body and Blood. Thus, these three images together refer to the mystery of the Eucharist:
- The angel who brings bread to Elijah: food for those who are in danger of giving up.
- The manna from heaven: God's daily care for His people.
- Melchizedek: the priest-king who brings blessing with bread and wine.
And in the midst of all this, in this tabernacle, dwells Christ Himself. Not as a reminder of something that has been, but as a living presence. He is here. In silence, but not absent. In hiddenness, but full of power. In the form of bread, but truly the Son of God. Those who realise this approach with reverence. For here, in the heart of our chapel, heaven touches earth.
