The Sacred Liturgy and the Beauty of God’s House
Dear Friends in Christ,
When the bishops of the world gathered for the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, one of their first acts was to address the heart of the Church’s life: the sacred liturgy. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium (1963), set forth a profound vision of worship rooted in both ancient tradition and renewed participation. The Council declared that “the liturgy is 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.” In other words, everything the Church does—teaching, serving, evangelizing—finds its source and fulfillment in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Sacrosanctum Concilium called the whole Church to “full, conscious, and active participation” in the liturgy. This participation is not merely external involvement but a deep interior union with Christ, who continues His saving work through the sacraments. The Council emphasized that the liturgy belongs to the whole Body of Christ—the Head and the members—and that it makes visible the mystery of God’s presence among His people. The beauty and reverence of the liturgy, therefore, are not secondary concerns; they reveal and communicate the very glory of God.
Decades later, the U.S. bishops built upon this foundation with the document Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (2000). Drawing inspiration from Sacrosanctum Concilium, the bishops reflected on how the design of our sacred spaces should foster prayer, unity, and the celebration of the sacraments. The title itself reminds us of St. Peter’s words: “Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). Every church building, then, is both a structure of stone and a symbol of the living community that gathers within it.
According to Built of Living Stones, the arrangement of the altar, ambo, chair, font, and tabernacle should express the Church’s theology and draw the faithful into the mystery being celebrated. The altar—Christ Himself—stands at the center, as the focal point of sacrifice and communion. The ambo, from which the Word of God is proclaimed, should command dignity and visibility, signifying the importance of Scripture in God’s saving work. The chair represents Christ’s presiding presence through the priest, while the baptismal font marks our entry into the community of faith. The placement of the tabernacle invites prayerful reverence and reminds us that Christ dwells continually among His people.
Sacred art and architecture, when thoughtfully designed, do more than decorate a space—they lift the human heart toward the divine. As Built of Living Stones teaches, “Beauty is a doorway to mystery.” The harmony of light, form, and sound helps us encounter the transcendent and realize that heaven and earth truly meet in the liturgy.
As we continue to worship and gather as a parish, may we remember that our church building is not simply a meeting place, but a visible sign of the invisible grace we celebrate. Each time we enter its doors, we step into the mystery of God’s dwelling among us—a mystery that continues to shape and sanctify us, living stones in the temple of the Lord.
In Christ’s peace,
Fr. Tom Lanza
Pastor, St. Matthias Parish & School