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A tabernacle or a sacrament house is a fixed, locked box in which the Eucharist (consecrated communion hosts) is stored as part of the "reserved sacrament" rite. A container for the same purpose, which is set directly into a wall, is called an aumbry.
Within Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and in some traditions of Anglicanism and Lutheranism, the tabernacle is a box-like or dome-like vessel for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist. It is normally made from precious metals, stone or wood, and is lockable and secured to the altar or adjacent wall to prevent the consecrated elements within from being removed without authorization. These denominations believe that the Eucharist contains the real presence of Jesus, and thus use the term tabernacle, a word referring to the Old Testament tabernacle, which was the locus of God's presence among the Jewish people.
The "reserved Eucharist" is secured in the tabernacle for distribution at services, for use when bringing Holy Communion to the sick, and, in the Western Church, as a focal point for reflection, meditation and prayer. Until the very late 20th century, it was required that the Christian tabernacle be covered with a tent-like veil (conopaeum) or have curtains across its door when the Eucharist is present within.[clarification needed] Although this is no longer required in the 21st century, it continues to be the tradition in many places.
By way of metaphor, Catholics and Orthodox alike also refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the tabernacle in their devotions (such as the Akathist hymn or Catholic Litanies to Mary) since as Theotokos, the Mother of God, she carried within her the body of Christ.