Liturgy To Inspire Action

The end of Mass--and of other liturgical celebrations, too--commissions each member of the assembly to go as ambassadors of risen Jesus.

One sentence of Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone, who conveyed Pope Benedict's message to the 58th Italian National Liturgical Week, described well this commission:

To live as a Christian, we must harmonize personal faithfulness to Christ with "citizenship," with a commitment to being present in the world as his witnesses.

The Zenit.org summary of Cardinal Bertone's remarks expressed that liturgy and its purpose are not confined within church walls.