Beauty, then, is not mere decoration, but rather an essential element of the liturgical action, since it is an attribute of God himself and his revelation. These considerations should make us realize the care which is needed, if the liturgical action is to reflect its innate splendour.
The liturgy of the Eucharist is best understood as a journey or procession. It is the journey of the Church into the dimension of the Kingdom. We use the word 'dimension' because it seems the best way to indicate the manner of our sacramental entrance into the risen life of Christ. Color transparencies 'come alive' when viewed in three dimensions instead of two. The presence of the added dimension allows us to see much better the actual reality of what has been photographed. In very much the same way, though of course any analogy is condemned to fail, our entrance into the presence of Christ is an entrance into a fourth dimension which allows us to see the ultimate reality of life. It is not an escape from the world, rather it is the arrival at a vantage point from which we can see more deeply into the reality of the world.
The spiritual virtue of a sacrament is like light; although it passes among the impure, it is not polluted.
Vaccination is the medical sacrament corresponding to baptism. Whether it is or is not more efficacious I do not know.
In the case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation.
I might be celibate, but I appreciate the wonder of the sacrament of marriage.
Voting is a civic sacrament.
Every sacrament meeting ought to be a spiritual feast.
