# Altar ## Catechism of the Catholic Church The center and focal point of a church, where the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is made present under sacramental signs in the Mass. Among the Israelites the altar was the place where sacrifices were offered to God. The Christian altar represents two aspects of the mystery of the Eucharist, as the altar of sacrifice where Christ as the sacrificial victim offers himself for our sins and as the table of the Lord where Christ gives himself to us as food from heaven ([[2.1.2.1.p3a|ccc-1182]], [[2.2.1.3.p42|ccc-1383]]).