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Joined: Nov 2001
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One of the main reasons we converted to Eastern Catholicism was the beauty of the liturgy. I believe that if we would reclaim that we would start growing again.
"In a world full of so much ugliness, liturgy should be a rest for the soul, a repose where the soul can breathe.
Beauty is not aestheticism. It is not an aim in itself. It is a glimpse of God's glory. We shouldn't stay with a glimpse . . . because people are thirsting for beauty and for what they rigthly feel is behind beauty: the glory of God revealed to us.
Heaven opens in liturgy. Beauty in
liturgy costs time, love, care, commitment. We must take time for preparing the liturgy, looking for the beauty of the flowers, the songs, the space, the incense, the candles. All this has nothing to do with pure aestheticism, but it is an expression of love.
The faithful can tell whether or not there is the love of God in a church. My experience is that wherever you have a beautiful liturgy, people come. People are attracted, and rightly. We should not say that this is only a superficial attraction.
Beauty is one way to God. It should never be separated from goodness and truth. Beauty without goodness is not beauty; so love for the poor has to be cultivated together with love for beauty -- and, of course, with love for the truth."
by Archbishop Christoph Schonborn of Vienna
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False dichotomy (or is it a trichotomy?).
That which is good must be true and beautiful.
That which is beautiful must be true and good.
That which is true must be beautiful and good.
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Perhaps the Arch Bishop is referring to the Liturgy itself. And if not, how can you change what he said into a more proper statement?
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There are a couple of implications to the Archbishops comments that I would like to discuss. First, since beauty truth and goodness cannot occur without the others then there is an objective reality to beauty. Those connected with God will have a common understanding of beauty. The Seventh Ecumenical pretty much nails this down. Second, beauty will connect the seeker to God it will draw the Christian closer to Him and will draw seekers as well. Conversely, temples and liturgies that settle for less than the beautiful will see a lack of growth and a lack of understanding of God.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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Why are some of the ugliest churches in the world also among the largest?
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