The whole universe is in a constant state of motion and change. The whole of creation experiences this in the orbiting of the planets, the cycles of the seasons, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the rising and setting of the sun but it is peculiar to human beings to be consciously aware of these processes and to refer to them as the passing of time. We have seen throughout this presentation that from the earliest times it has been a universal human instinct, set deep within our psychological make up to see time as measured by the stars, the moon and the sun, as sacred and to celebrate that sacredness by regular prayer

Aidan Kavanagh says:

'Time is a holy creature with which the liturgy puts one in meaningful touch ... Time's sacredness is not imposed by liturgical worship. Liturgical worship discovers that sacredness and summons the assembly to take part in it.'  (A. Kavanagh, Elements of Rite: A Handbook of Liturgical Style (Collegeville, MI: Liturgical Press, 1990), p. 24.