Truth and Beauty

miracle, rose, Mother's Day

I went to Byzantine Catholic vespers at the Ukrainian Catholic Church near my city recently. It was the first time I had gone, and I was pleasantly surprised. The social afterward was also eye-opening. Truth really does lie in beauty.

Beauty

Recently some beautiful events happened in my life, and these occurred one after the other. God is the God of surprises. All these events made me realize in His greatness again which is something that we can easily become complacent about. Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Beauty will save the world.” We need to look at beauty because this beauty comes from God.

I was talking about ‘imposter syndrome’ in class one day since it came up in discussions. I do not know much about the subject, but I was intrigued by the comments from the class. It seems to be more prevalent than I had thought.

Once, I was at a talk given by a nun, and she used the analogy of a clown and how the makeup they wear enables them to be something they are not in reality. Interesting suggestions made me think more and more about truth. St. Augustine said, “The truth is like a lion. You do not have to defend it. Let it loose and it will defend itself.” Wise words from one of the greats of our Catholic faith.

How often do I avoid the truth? It makes me wonder. I remember as a child when my mother would ask me if I did something, I would look for an excuse to stay out of trouble. Maybe as we become adults, I wonder how much of that becomes different. We get stopped for speeding, and we look for a way out. Christ did not do that. He stood and faced his accusers and said nothing. It was they who pointed the finger at him. He knew the truth and held his head high. To me, there is beauty in this truth.

Saint Examples
During Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s homily for Fr. Luigi Giussani’s funeral in 2005, two months shy of his unsuspected elevation to the papacy, he said that Fr Giussani was “wounded by the desire for beauty.” Giussani was the founder of the Catholic Movement Communion and Liberation. Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) noted how much Fr Giussani loved music, and said that, in looking for Beauty itself, he was looking for Christ. This is what I am l want – to find that beauty and it will lead to truth. I am sure of it.

I want to be able to see this beauty. It is so easy to stray. I reflect sometimes on my daily life, and it makes me wonder about reality. For me, I want to live like this and show my real self. I remember I grew tall very early and quickly and it took me a while to get used to it. I would even slouch when I served on the altar because I was so self-conscious of my height.

As a person grows up, it seems that we need to find our way. Part of this, I would suggest, is finding out who we really are. I remember when I went away to university, I was so afraid and so unsure of myself. I did not really have anyone to turn to. Yet, without knowing it, Christ became that person for me. People came into my life and tried to show me something better. However, that did not come without any pain. This is when we must choose – are we a part of the world or are we a part of Christ? Sacrifices need to be made.

The Challenge
 St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “No one can change truth.” Lies are ugly and they are not from God.  What we can do is seek truth and serve it when we have found it. Sometimes watching the news saddens me, not because of what is happening, but it seems sometimes that truth is being manipulated. It is difficult to defend oneself against lies because it is like stabbing water because brings out the worst in others. Beauty, on the other hand, brings out our true selves.

St. John Paul II said, “Grace and truth will, in turn, give rise to courage. Following Christ has always demanded courage.” Do we have that courage? I question myself all the time. I try my best, or at least what I think is my best to live my Catholic faith. Sometimes I feel like a fraud and think I am not doing anything worthwhile. When push comes to shove, will I be able to die for Christ?

Some Examples
Recently, I was speaking with my Carmelite friends in the cloister, and it was suggested to learn more about the life of Sister Clare Crockett. This beautiful nun from Ireland died suddenly at age 33 during an earthquake in Ecuador. I wanted to find out more about her. Yet another example of the Lord sending us examples to learn more about. She wanted to be an actress, but Christ had other plans and she listened to the truth presented to her in her life. After she followed her call, she was on fire for Christ and her short life became something so beautiful.

In the early Church, the Romans persecuted the Christians, and many died for Christ. We read about so many great saints on whose blood the Church was built. But there were some who were not so brave and gave in to their persecutors. I wonder which side I would be on in a crisis. St. Augustine said again, “We love the truth when it enlightens us, but we hate it when it convicts us.”

Recently, I followed closely the saga of Cardinal Pell in Australia. It was a great day when he was exonerated from prison during Holy Week that year. Cardinal Van Thuan of Vietnam spend years in prison, yet he remained faithful. This is the test of faith in Christ. Would we deny him in a crisis? No, that is when we stand firm in our commitment to faith. It could also be from the indifference that surrounds us. We need to stand firm in our faith with our eyes open to truth and beauty.

I enjoy reading about St. Giuseppe Moscati. He was such a quiet man who lived for Christ. He said, “Love the truth, appear as you are, and without affectation and without fear and without human respect. Even if the truth costs you persecution, accept it; and if it means anguish, endure it. And if for the sake of truth, you should have to sacrifice yourself and your life, then be strong in your sacrifice.” (St. Joseph Moscati wrote this as a note to himself) How can we live like that? For me, I need to look at reality in front of me.

Bartolo Longo was an Italian lawyer who managed to fall into the occult. Once he reverted to the faith, he was accused of having a relationship with a woman. At the suggestion of Pope Leo XIII, Bartolo Longo and the Countess Mariana di Fusco were married on April 7, 1885. The couple remained continent (abstained from intercourse). Cardinal George of Chicago once said in the context of a speech,

I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization as the church has done so often in human history.

I believe it is up to us to stand firm in our faith. There are many great trials we must face and we think we face them alone but we are never alone. The Lord will provide and must be certain of this.

Conclusion
Facing challenges in life are never easy. We can lie our way out of it, but one lie leads to another to cover up the first. This is not who we are as Catholic Christians. Silence is important and sometimes it is necessary. However, once we speak, we speak the truth, and we are here in front of it. Christ will give us the words to say. Sometimes, the truth is not what someone wants to hear. Yet, it needs to be said. When I look at the beauty around us, the truth manifests itself in that beauty. I want to be a part of that. I need to be.

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1 thought on “Truth and Beauty”

  1. Beautiful article as always.
    Delicate subject because for me, there is only one reality but many interpretations of it.
    How can we discern the reality of our ego? One tends to hide the truth by adaptative mechanisms which have been added and included in our mind during years with traumas and bad experiences.. I wonder if there is a way to find the real truth from God?
    I remain myself but what’s the price? God sends us trials and we do not know their meaning before a long time which can be painfull and make us stronger at the same time. I think no one on earth has answer we just need to be ourselves and make things that make us happy in a way to be close to God.Our superior entity shows us clues in everything around us (encounters, books, TV shows…) in order to progress in our development. From my personal point of view, a simple way to stay connected and faithful is to have good emotions! Love is the face of God.

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