There are a lot of words being written within the U.S. Catholic Church about the Eucharist and adoration, often with a focus on the Real Presence. However, most Catholics looking to more closely encounter Jesus in the Eucharist will do so via a tabernacle (the usually elaborate container that holds the consecrated Eucharist remaining after Mass), which is a topic that has gotten a lot less focus.  Return to Me: Visits to the Tabernacle by Lynda Rozell focuses on the tabernacle itself as an expression of Eucharistic adoration. Rozell uses the history of the tabernacle as an element of physical church infrastructure and the various potential symbols integrated into a tabernacle’s construction as a jumping off point for prayer and contemplation. Focus can be hard to come by in our busy modern world, even during Adoration, and this book’s explanations of tabernacle symbols and its suggested prayers are an excellent way to bring your mind and heart to the Real Presence when you are struggling. 

Rozell first walks readers through the history of tabernacles, integrating Scripture and history to illustrate why we have them and where you are most likely to find them in a parish. She then does this for the variety of symbols that are used on and around tabernacles, walking readers through a well-cited primer on Eucharistic symbolism. Even if you don’t intend to take this book to Adoration, it really is an excellent resource on Church symbolism, especially for newer converts or others who did not grow up having it explained to them.

Lynda Rozell tours the United States with her Airstream trailer, so she has had the opportunity to see a wide variety of tabernacles. The book features many great color photos of tabernacles from across the country to help explore the depth and diversity of Eucharistic symbolism. Most of these are truly lovely works of art that can be found in quiet chapels in both big cities and small towns. I’d recommend any reader take a moment to look over the intricate details in these photos. If your parish is like mine, you don’t have much opportunity to really look at the artistry and think about the meaning of it due to distance or the hustle of Mass. Art like this is a kind of worship, a gift offered up to God in visual praise, and it is a delight.

Even people who went through Catholic education can miss out on the meaning of these symbols and the truth they are meant to evoke. Return to Me is a great tool for any visit to an Adoration chapel- simply flip to the section whose symbols are on display and let that guide your meditations on the real presence. I also think it is a wonderful resource for those looking to understand Church symbolism. There are nine pages of cited works and a great deal of Scripture used to clearly explain why we use the symbols we do for the tabernacle, the container housing the most sacred thing in the parish. Some of the most common symbols the book discusses include wheat and grapes that evoke the materials that make up the Eucharist, direct depictions of stories from Scripture, and more abstract symbols such as the Alpha and Omega Greek letters. There is a great deal of variation, even when tabernacles are using the same theme.  In a time when we are more visual than ever, yet much of what we see has been disconnected from its meaning, Return to Me offers a deeper look at the core symbolism of the Catholic Church that can help even well-read Catholics grow in their relationship to Christ through the art of the tabernacle.