THE WAY OF BEAUTY

Another way to say Christ in all His glory is to say Christ in all His beauty. An experience of Christ through beauty awakens faith or fortifies it to a deeper surety. God allows us to see breathtaking beauty in nature. David Clayton proposes that “the aims for the supernatural transformation of the person are so that he can in turn transfigure the whole culture through the divine beauty of his daily actions. There is no human activity, no matter how mundane, that cannot be enhanced by this formation in beauty.” While the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are rarely praised beyond “the work was inspired,” the work of some has been done by saints or beatified persons, such as Fra Angelico or Antoni Gaudi. Creativity driven by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in people results in many forms of beauty that bring others to a sense of Christ’s beauty. These can range from August Kekule’s benzene ring formation [chemistry], to the glorious movement of Pete Sampras’ tennis serve [biomechanics] and on to draw from sacred music, including Valyermo’s Fr. Angelus Echeverry’s compositions “Suscipe me” and “Flos Carmeli” and more. This retreat will enliven our experience of beauty in many of its manifestations and expressions.