AND NOW YOU KNOW

As Mass comes to an end, the priest does something many people barely notice. Before he leaves the sanctuary, he returns to the altar and kisses it again. This is not repetition. It is completion.

The altar is not a piece of furniture. It represents Christ Himself, His sacrifice, His body, and His victory. At the beginning of Mass, the priest kisses the altar to greet Christ. At the end of Mass, he kisses it again to take leave of the Lord who has just offered Himself. In the early Church, altars were built over the tombs of martyrs. To kiss the altar was also to honour those who gave their lives for Christ. That tradition remains. Every kiss acknowledges the communion of saints and the blood that testified to the faith we celebrate. There is also a deeply human meaning. We kiss those we love when we depart, not because they disappear, but because the bond remains. The priest’s kiss says, “I am leaving this place, but I remain united to You.”

This final kiss teaches the faithful something essential: Mass does not end by walking away from Christ, it ends by carrying Him with us. The altar remains sacred. The presence of Christ remains real. And the mission continues beyond the sanctuary walls. So the next time you see the priest kiss the

altar before leaving, understand what is happening: A sacred encounter is being sealed with love, reverence, and fidelity.