It is often said that our modern liturgy lacks any sense of mystery and it has lost its sense of being sacred and holy. However, if we are conscious of the true meaning of the Mass and it is celebrated with care, having been properly prepared then it can raise our eyes and hopes heavenwards.

Our worship on earth reflects the worship in heaven. What we do here at the holy sacrifice of the Mass is a kind of distant echo of what goes on in heaven. There, the Lamb of God is offered in one timeless and eternal sacrifice. There the saints and angels worship around the throne of the Lamb. In that city there is no sun, moon, or stars, for the Lamb Himself is the light of that city. This altar you see at Mass is a reflection of the altar in heaven. The chalice is a sign of the eternal Precious Blood of the Lamb. The host is, on earth, the sign of the Eternal Bread of heaven. The priest is an icon of Christ the Lord — and who are the altar servers? You represent and reflect on earth the heavenly host. That’s right. Altar servers represent the saints and angels. That’s why we have children serve the Mass if we can, because our children remind us adults of what the Lord Jesus said: “Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” So just by being children you remind us what we must be like to become like the saints and angels.