Catechesis and the way of beauty

Dec 15, 2023

Echoing the Faith - Dr Steven Selvaraju

Most people look at beauty in the form of aesthetics. However, beauty cannot be confined to aesthetics only. As such. it is essential that Christians discern the difference between true beauty and the type of beauty “which may be apparently beautiful but empty, or even harmful…” (Directory for Catechesis, 108). Ultimately, true beauty is the work of the Holy Spirit. For all that is good, all that is true, all that is beautiful brings us to God. In this article, I will examine beauty as a source of catechesis from the perspective of Sacred Scripture, works of art and as a form of attraction to faith in Jesus.

The way of beauty
In his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis speaks about the “way of beauty”. According to the Pope: “Proclaiming Christ means showing that to believe in and to follow Him is not only something right and true, but also something beautiful, capable of filling life with splendour and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties. Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus” (Evangelii Gaudium, 167).

Beauty, therefore, can serve as a privileged path through which the message of Christ can be transmitted or shared to others. Every form of true beauty is a source of catechesis. It inspires the desire for God and renders glory to Him. The Pope states that this is why it would be good for every form of catechesis to pay attention to the “way of beauty”. Catechesis can show concretely through the works of human beings the infinite beauty of God.

The way of beauty in the Scriptures We have to see the “way of beauty” in the Sacred Scriptures. The Scriptures present God as the source of all splendour and beauty. This can be seen in God’s work of creation and in the unfolding of His plan of salvation. In the Old Testament, we can discover the beauty of God’s nature and divine glory: “Yahweh, God of gods speaks, he summons the earth. From east to west, from Zion, perfection of beauty, he shines.” (Ps. 50: 2).

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is Himself beauty personified in all its goodness and perfection. His message of salvation is beautiful, good, joyful and full of hope. When He relates with people, especially the poor and marginalised, and sinners, He shows the beauty of the Father’s love and mercy. By healing the hurts of wounded humanity, He demonstrates the beauty of the power of God. By His suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus opens the eyes of humanity to the beauty of the salvation that He achieves for every person.

It means that in catechesis, attention has to be given in presenting the faith not merely as a dogmatic, theological or moral truth but as a beautiful message of God’s love for His people. This is why Pope Francis reminds us that, “Rather than experts in dire predictions, dour judges bent on rooting out every threat and deviation, we should appear as joyful messengers of challenging proposals, guardians of the goodness and beauty which shine forth in a life of fidelity to the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium, 168).

The way of beauty in art Forming Catholics in the faith also means using the beauty of art as a source of catechesis. From her beginnings, the Church has allowed and encouraged the use of paintings, icons, statues, sculptures, mosaics, tapestries, stained glasses and other forms of art to depict the images of Jesus, Mother Mary and the saints as a means for believers to contemplate and draw closer to God.

In fact, from the sixth century up to the Middle Ages, at a time when most people were largely uneducated, such works of art served the main tools of catechesis. For example, when they went to the village church or to the cathedral in the city, people would “see” the sacred images and use them as “visual aids” to understand the faith. They would also use the works of art to teach the faith to their children.

These days, however, the sacred images in our churches, while they may be aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, are rarely used as catechetical aids by catechists or parents to teach the faith to the children. Here, we keep in mind the words of Pope Francis, “… art in all its forms, does not exist only for simple aesthetic enjoyment but because through art, the Church in every moment of history and in every culture explains and interprets the revelation for the good of the People of God” (Pope Francis, Message to the Moscow Synodal Choir, 2013). Consequently, we have to find ways to use the works of sacred art more frequently and effectively in catechesis.

The way of beauty as a form of attraction to faith in Jesus
The Church grows not by proselytising but by attraction, says Pope Francis. In the same way, faith has to be transmitted not merely to instruct or inform but to attract the people — adults, teenagers and children — to the beauty of the Person of Christ and his message. In order to do this, those serving in the ministry of catechesis have themselves to be attracted to and by Christ. They are to serve as His disciples filled with joy, hope and love so that others may be attracted to Christ through them. At the same time, in our catechesis, we have to increasingly find new ways of expressing the beauty of the faith so as to lead others to God. Pope Francis states, “we must be bold enough to discover new signs and new symbols, new flesh to embody and communicate the Word and different forms of beauty which are valued in different cultures (Evangelii Gaudium, 167).

Conclusion
St Pope Paul VI once said, “The world in which we live needs beauty in order not to despair”. In his book, Confessions, St Augustine wrote, “Late have I loved you, beauty so old and so new: late have I loved you.” The “beauty” that both saints speak of is God. Since God is the true source of beauty, it is only natural that He uses beauty to draw humanity to Himself. In giving attention to the “way of beauty”, catechesis can play an important role to help people encounter Him.

The key ideas of the article are presented in a simple illustrated format below. The images used are my own, as well as, taken from the public domain. 

(Dr Steven Selvaraju, STD, STL, holds a Doctorate in Theology with Specialisation in Catechetics and Youth Ministry from Pontifical Salesian University, Rome. He serves as Director of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Centre, Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.)