A good mystery novel is a work of art.  Every scene is significant–even those in which not much seems to be happening–and every detail, no matter how small, has a place in an intricately crafted plot.  The same is true of the liturgies of the church.  Not just the yearly cycle of seasons from Advent to ordinary time, but the cycles of liturgies that mark the special holy days in our parish life, like Easter and, most recently, Christmas.