“Love have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!” St. Augustine, Confessions X
Author: Cathy Loh; Diocese of Palm Beach, Director of Marriage, Family Life, Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
A continuation in the series of reflections on key quotes from St. Augustine, the spiritual father of Pope Leo’s Augustinian Order.
In the first account of creation in the Book of Genesis, we are told that after God had created the light and separated it from the darkness, separated the waters from the dry land, created vegetation on the land, the sun, moon and stars in the heavens, the creatures in the water, in the sky, and on land and had finally made “man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), God “saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we learn that “He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind….” Beauty was part of God’s creative plan from the beginning and remains a part of his redemptive plan. God placed a desire for beauty in our hearts as a means of drawing us back to himself.
Each of us has experienced this truth for ourselves. Think of the moments when you were overtaken with awe at the wonder and beauty of a sunrise or moonrise, of the multitude of stars in the night sky, of a flowery meadow or even a single flower, a towering mountain, an exquisite piece of music, a mellifluous voice raised in song, a soaring cathedral, a sleeping infant, a sacred liturgy, or even a gentle breeze. Each of these experiences is meant to draw us out of ourselves toward the transcendent. For a moment, we step out of time and space as we are drawn toward the infinite. It is God’s way of reminding us that there is something greater waiting for us, a redemptive moment drawing us closer to Him.
I remember one such experience when traveling to Switzerland. We had arrived in Zermatt late in the afternoon after the clouds had descended and covered the mountains. The next morning when I stepped out onto the balcony of the hotel, I was overwhelmed by the sight of the Matterhorn standing sentinel against the bright blue, clear sky. It was as if time stood still, and I felt as if I could reach out and touch the mountain that beckoned me toward the heavens. It was truly a transcendent moment that I will never forget. Only something or someone, certainly bigger than me, could set in motion the creative elements to form such a magnificent edifice. I think that is why I personally love the mountains so much. They draw me heavenward and help me feel closer to God.
Now that I live in the flatlands of Florida, I have come to a greater appreciation of the ocean, of its vastness and the rhythm of the waves and tides. The moonlight shimmering on the water is a reminder that God is always with us and draws us to Himself. He is the creator, and he declares: “I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
An encounter with beauty transforms us and awakens in us a desire to experience the transcendent. It unites us in our response. Pope Benedict XVI, as well as Bishop Robert Barron from Word on Fire, repeatedly emphasized how the New Evangelization must lead with beauty. God speaks to the heart through beauty, and we are drawn to Him who is Truth, Jesus Christ. Beauty is a universal language that opens the way, the via pulchritudinous, an often-used phrase by Pope Benedict, providing a pathway toward presenting the gospel. Beauty elicits awe and wonder that can pierce even the hardest heart and bring us to a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.
What does Scripture say:
“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
“Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.” Romans 1:20
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’….” John 14:6