The most important gathering of the Catholic congregation is the Eucharist, a ritual that goes back to Jesus Himself. From Monday through Friday it takes place here in this chapel. Usually it’s a small group that comes to celebrate but that is how it was in the beginning as well. When Jesus gave the instruction to keep celebrating the Eucharist, only His twelve disciples were present. The furthest stained glass window depicts this moment Christians call ‘The Last Supper’. In this chapel the emphasis is not on individual faith but on the faith of the community as a whole. Christians are people who gather around Jesus, where they discover they are also connected with each other and are given the collective task of fostering brotherhood and peace in the world.
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
Give me your hand and give me your love,
give me your hand and dance with me.
A single flower, and nothing more,
a single flower is all we’ll be.
Keeping time in the dance together,
you’ll be singing the song with me.
Grass in the wind, and nothing more,
grass in the wind is all we’ll be.
I’m called Hope and you’re called Rose:
but losing our names we’ll both go free,
a dance on the hills, and nothing more,
a dance on the hills is all we’ll be.
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
The most valuable object in the chapel is the gleaming copper box at the front. It is a so-called tabernacle, the receptacle in which the holy bread and wine are kept in Catholic churches. This tabernacle dates back to 1712. Its shape makes reference to one of the oldest biblical texts. It tells of how the nation of Israel journeyed through the desert with a chest that made it visible that God travelled with them. The chest was called the Ark of the Covenant. This Jewish image is the perfect rendition of what this space is about for Christians: God Himself is present here. That is why people come here sometimes outside the Eucharist. They pray, they meditate or feel supported in some way.
Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
The balustrade delineates the so-called Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Every weekday at 4 p.m. the faithful celebrate the Eucharist in this chapel, the most important ritual in the Catholic Church. The culmination of the celebration is when the faithful come forward to receive a piece of bread. On the eve of his death, Jesus broke bread with his disciples and said: “This is my body”. The painting in the middle at the front depicts a different scene. Again we see Jesus break bread. The risen Christ is seated at the table with two of his disciples but they do not recognise him. It isn’t until He breaks bread that it dawns on them. This experience repeats itself every time the faithful celebrate the Eucharist.
