Sacred

Often times, when I am teaching the Mass, I will start by asking the person to define the word sacred. Almost every time, I get the response “holy” or “blessed.” These are not necessarily wrong but they are too broad. A rosary is holy and blessed, but a rosary is not sacred. All sacred items are holy but not all holy items are sacred. Instead, for something to be sacred, it means that that item is reserved specifically for the purpose of worship. 

For example, the church building is considered “sacred space” because it is used solely for worship. You will not see other non-sacred functions taking place there; it is God’s house. Similarly, the chalice is a sacred vessel in that it is restricted to being used for worship. You will never see a priest using his chalice for dinner.

Whether we are talking about sacred art or sacred music, the point is that these things are meant for one thing and one thing only: worship of God. Therefore, they are not to be like other things in the world. They should reflect the beauty and grandeur of God; they should be able to take us up out of the world into heaven. To try to make the sacred more mundane, more worldly, goes against the very purpose of the Mass itself. 

We ourselves are even made sacred through the grace of the sacraments. Our lives are meant to be made holy and continue to reflect that holiness so that we ourselves might share in that gift of self with Jesus. The very heart of the Mass is about offering ourselves with and through Jesus to the glory of the Father. 

May we always, both in how we treat the Mass and how we live our lives, always strive to preserve and protect the sacred so that we ourselves might grow in that sacredness given to us by God.