The Place of Beauty - New Evangelizers

With the spotlight on the Pope drama, once again, we see the media focusing on the workings of the Church.

We have all heard the dissenters. Why doesn’t that Catholic Church sell the “fancy stuff” they have? Why do they need all of that art, property, trappings?  Isn’t that contrary to Jesus’ message of simplicity? The answer to that query is both yes and no!

You might recall that the very first gift givers in Jesus’ young life brought things that were impossibly lavish and simply unattainable for ordinary people: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

You might also recall that in God’s own specification and description for the Temple in Jerusalem and the final temple in the New Jerusalem includes lavishness beyond human imagination: courses of precious gems, layers and layers of gold, alabaster, sparkling pure water, ever-producing fruit trees, chanting angels and rare incenses burning all of the time.

So what’s the point to it all?

Father Robert Barron reminds us that “The spiritual world speaks to us through the world of the physical.”   We are incarnate, the way we experience things fully is by our five senses. This is not lost to God and his plan!

Have you ever entered a beautiful church for the very first time?  During my initial visit to St. Peter’s I literally didn’t know where to rest my gaze.  Everywhere you looked there was one more item of stunning beauty.   I was in a place that was unlike anywhere I had ever been.  This was an experience that was not of this earth.  Every time I go back it’s no different.  I have a similar reaction to beautiful churches no matter where they are.

This beauty is meant to transport.  In a world where things are noisy, hectic, unfair and often ugly the beauty and tranquility that the church provides is an oasis, a get away that literally sooths your soul.

Beauty is healing.  That’s the reason music like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart is just as popular today as it was hundreds of years ago when originally written.  In that music is an indelible beauty.

For the Church, beauty is the unspoken textbook, the standing witness.  When we humans create beauty, support beauty, contribute to beauty it’s one of the things we can do with our own two hands that gives honor and homage to God.  In this country we can give particular attention to our neighborhood ethnic churches which were built, literally, with the pennies of the poor and erected as “their” churches.  Even if you spent six days in a tenement, you could steep yourself in incredible beauty on the seventh day!

So, then, if the Church liquidated all of her beauty, what would you get?  After the money was gone, life would be more ordinary, more depressing and exactly the same seven days of the week…and you would have accomplished?

Copyright © 2013, Kathryn M. Cunningham

Kathryn M. Cunningham

Kathryn holds a Master’s in Education from Saint Xavier University. Most recently she completed Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from The Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. This recent degree was part of a “retirement project” after teaching for 35 years. She has also worked as a spiritual director, music minister,council member and prayer team warrior. Kathryn has a deep interest in catechesis for the people in the pews. As a “sort of” convert she finds the wisdom of the Church a source for encouragement, joy and survival in a world not sure of anything. Her writing has appeared in diocesan publications and on-line sites, most recently for Zenit. To learn more about Kathryn check out her thinking at: www.atravelersview.org">ATravelersView.org.