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As it describes the nature of the Liturgy and its value in the life of the Church, Sacrosanctum Concilium broadens its perspective and directs our sight beyond the horizon of how we make sense of our lives, which at times lacks foresight. It does this firstly by reminding us that the liturgical actions we celebrate, particularly in places and at specific times, are not limited by time and space:
In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle (see Rev 21:2; Col 3:1; Heb 8:2). Sacrosanctum Concilium, par.8
Therefore, through the liturgy, we live with the tensions of being lifted up towards God, while at the same time remaining with our feet on the ground in anticipation of the moment in which Christ appears and we join the communion of saints, those who have already went before us and completed their earthly journey. Through the liturgy we also experience another type of tension, that of tasting the manna from heaven while at the same time living as a Christian after leaving the four walls of the church. Nevertheless, we must go out and spread the Good News of salvation with all those whom we meet through “works of charity, piety, and the apostolate”, while it is clear that “Christ’s faithful, though not of this world are to be the light of the world and to glorify the Father before men” (par. 9).
It is in this context that Sacrosanctum Concilium speaks about the liturgy as “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time, it is the font from which all her power flows” (par.10).
The liturgy is the summit that has both the nature of Calvary hill where our salvation was wrought as well as that of the Mount of Olives where Our Lord ascended into heaven, because through it we are united to the mystery of Christ. Yet, for this experience of intimate union with the Risen Lord and his glorified wounds to be a truly Christian life, it must gush forth like a spring that continues to flow in our hearts and outwards into our daily duties, ’til the following Sunday, when we gather once more to participate in the sacrifice of our salvation.
