Ethan Walker
Beauty is an integral and essential part of the Catholic liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out, and it is enduring, tangible, and necessary evidence of the Lord. True beauty, according to Bishop Robert Barron, is as objective as the true and the good. It is composed of three elements: integrity, proportion, and light, which point to the ordered and luminescent nature of God. True beauty is not superficial or skin-deep, but rather soul-deep, radiating from within and reflecting the divine image, drawing others to the love of God. It inspires awe, humility, gratitude, and reverence, reminding us that all gifts come from God. It is a powerful evangelizing force that can bring people to their senses and show them what is true and good.
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What You'll Learn
Beauty is integral to the Catholic liturgy
The Catholic Church considers beauty to be an integral and essential part of its liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out, and more than a fleeting stimulus to the senses. Beauty is an enduring, tangible, and necessary indication of the Lord. When beauty is neglected, the liturgy and the faithful unintentionally move away from the divine presence.
The Church has long recognised the importance of beauty, seeing it as an appropriate setting for the Mass. However, in recent times, there has been a shift, with some believing that beauty merely serves to display Man's wealth and arrogance. This has led to a marginalisation of beauty in the Church, leaving many feeling a sense of loss.
Beauty, in the Catholic faith, is seen as a way to perceive God within the earthly realm. It is one of the transcendentals, intertwined with truth and goodness. When one encounters true beauty, it draws one out of oneself, leading to a consideration of higher forms of beauty and, ultimately, to God. This is what St. Thomas Aquinas refers to when he describes visual beauty as being composed of integrity, proportion, and light, pointing to the nature of God.
True beauty, as described by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, is oriented towards God, reflecting His glory and drawing us closer to Him. It is not superficial but radiates from within, inspiring humility and gratitude, and reminding us that all gifts come from God. It is a beauty that is enduring, transcending the physical, and drawing others to the love of God.
Beauty has a powerful evangelising effect, especially in today's world. It can bring people to their senses, making them see what is true and good. It invites others to seek and recognise beauty, leading them towards what John Paul II calls "the mysterious unity of all things."
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Beauty reveals God
Beauty is an integral and essential part of the Catholic liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out, and it is much more than a fleeting stimulus to the senses. Beauty is an enduring, tangible, and necessary indication of the Lord. It is the single aspect of God that can be expressed physically within the earthly realm.
The transcendentals—the true, the good, and the beautiful—are intertwined. If something is true, it is also good and beautiful. If someone is earnestly pursuing what is good, they will come to know the truth and will find profound beauty. Truly beautiful things are profoundly true and good.
Bishop Robert Barron refers to St. Thomas Aquinas' definition of beauty as composed of three elements: integrity, proportion, and light. Together, these elements make objects beautiful because they point to the integrity, proportionality, and light of reality and ultimately to the ordered and luminescent nature of God.
True beauty reveals God. It invites others and is attainable for every soul because it already resides in every soul. True beauty calls us out of ourselves and leads us to consider higher forms of beauty. It inspires humility and gratitude, reminding us that all gifts come from God. It is a beauty that radiates from within, reflecting the divine image and drawing others to the love of God. It is a beauty that endures.
Beautiful settings, artwork, music, and liturgy are appropriate and necessary aspects of God’s everlasting mystical presence before Mankind. Beauty has a powerful evangelizing effect, and it should be a starting point for evangelization. It can bring people to their senses, making them see what is true and good.
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Beauty inspires hope and salvation
Beauty is an integral and essential part of Catholic liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out. Beauty is an enduring, tangible, and necessary indication of the Lord. It is critical to the setting of the Mass, where God is present.
The beauty of nature awes us and gives us peace. Great art amazes us and inspires our imagination. The beauty of another person moves our heart and leads us to desire communion. Beauty calls us to commitment, not just to enjoy another but to give our lives in love. When we are taken by someone’s beauty, it generates a spark, a desire for something more than ourselves.
True beauty reveals God. It calls us out of ourselves and leads us to consider higher forms of beauty. This is what Pope St. John Paul II, in his Letter to Artists, refers to as the “hidden nostalgia for God.”. When we experience something profoundly beautiful, we may find ourselves with tears in our eyes or overwhelmed by joy.
Through the inspiring experience of true beauty, we are given hope. A piece of art, a radiant sunset, the smile of someone we love—all these things have the power to inspire our hearts and point them toward Christ.
Beauty in itself has an evangelizing power. It communicates something beyond merely what is being depicted. For example, Michelangelo’s Pietà shows us not just a tableau, a moment in time, Mary holding the lifeless body of Jesus after the Crucifixion. It shows us so much more: we see the horrors of the crucifixion; we see grief beyond measure; we see hope, hope in something unknown, but the most profound expression of the virtue of Christian hope; we see God’s love for us.
True beauty, and often the most powerful beauty, can be found in things that strike us in ways we cannot fully understand. In the face of Mother Teresa, we see her joy, her humility, her love, her ardor, and perhaps even her legendary stubbornness. It is a face that draws you in, that makes you want to know more.
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Beauty is objective
Beauty is an integral and essential part of the Catholic liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out. Beauty is not merely a fleeting stimulus to the senses but an enduring, tangible, and necessary indication of the Lord. It is critical to the setting of the Mass.
The Church offers another way of considering beauty. Bishop Robert Barron claims that beauty can be "as objective as the true and the good." Bishop Barron refers back to St. Thomas Aquinas' definition of beauty, which describes visual beauty as being composed of three elements: integrity, proportion, and light. These elements make objects beautiful because they point to the integrity, proportionality, and light of reality and ultimately to the ordered and luminescent nature of God.
True beauty reveals God. It is a beauty that radiates from within, reflecting the divine image and drawing others to the love of God. It is a beauty that endures. In essence, true beauty is what truly matters. It is a beauty that inspires humility and gratitude, reminding us that all gifts come from God.
True beauty invites others. It is attainable for every soul because it already resides in every soul. As Catholics, we encounter beauty in a unique and extremely personal way in the Eucharist, where Christ physically comes to reside within us. Scripture points us toward the beauty of the person of Jesus, who drew others in and captivated them.
Beauty has a powerful evangelizing effect. It communicates something beyond what is being depicted. It can bring people to their senses, making them see what is true and good. It invites us to be partakers and caretakers of the beautiful, to be carried beyond ourselves as we invite others to seek and recognize beauty.
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Beauty is enduring
The Catholic Church has long recognised the importance of beauty, considering it an integral and essential part of its liturgy. Beauty is enduring, tangible, and necessary evidence of the Lord. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out, and it is much more than a fleeting stimulus to the senses.
When beauty is neglected, the liturgy and the faithful are unintentionally moved away from the divine presence. Beauty is the single aspect of God that can be expressed physically within the earthly realm. It is critical to the setting of the Mass. God is present at the Mass, in the Eucharist.
True beauty is attainable for every soul because it already resides in every soul. Catholics encounter beauty in a unique and personal way in the Eucharist, where Christ physically comes to reside within us. Scripture points us toward the beauty of the person of Jesus, who drew others in and captivated them.
True beauty is not skin deep, but soul deep. It radiates from within, reflecting the divine image and drawing others to the love of God. It is a beauty that endures. It is oriented towards God, reflecting His glory and drawing us closer to Him. It is a beauty that inspires humility and gratitude, reminding us that all gifts come from God.
True beauty is interior, holy, tender, constant, and disinterested. It is not about physical perfection, but the character etched on our souls. It is the kindness we extend, the compassion we show, and the integrity we embody. It is cultivated through self-reflection, prayer, and a commitment to living a virtuous life. It is the foundation upon which all other forms of beauty are built.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic true beauty is an integral and essential part of the Catholic liturgy. It is a gift from God, as St. Augustine points out. It is enduring, tangible, and necessary to indicate the Lord.
Catholic true beauty works by revealing God. It is a beauty that radiates from within, reflecting the divine image and drawing others to the love of God.
Catholic true beauty inspires people by reminding them that all gifts come from God. It inspires humility and gratitude, and it draws people closer to God.
The five signs of Catholic true beauty are interior, holy, tender, constant, and disinterested. True beauty begins within and reflects the character etched on our souls.
Catholic true beauty has a powerful evangelizing effect. It can bring people to their senses and make them see what is true and good. It is a starting point for evangelization, especially in today's world, where argumentation and reason are less effective.
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