Why Beauty Moves Us (Even When We Don’t Understand Why)

One of the theologians that just hearing his name I wanted to read more about him. Why? Because there is a certain ring to his name and I can sense that there's something about this person that just feels...beautiful.

It's Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Mind you, though, I haven't read any of his works; but, I'm dying to read about him.

I first heard of this name in Bishop Robert Baron's Word on Fire podcast and he talked about Hans Urs Von Balthasar. That was the time that I got so intrigued and I started to search a little bit about him.

Then, I learned about his 'Theological Aesthetics', and while I don't have the in-depth knowledge, I learned that Von Balthasar is giving emphasis on beauty. In simple terms and for immediate understanding, Von Balthasar's theology is the 'Theology of Beauty".

Simply put, for us to know more about God and for humans to be, as an additional means, closer to God, we should not just focus on truth (the ideas and doctrines of the Church), on goodness (mainly about morality and the rules we observe as Catholics); but, also on beauty.

Man in the very core of his nature is always attracted to beauty. It is worth noting that this is not just the physical aspect of beauty, because while man is first and foremost very much reactive to the physical aspect of beauty; but as time passes, man, after witnessing and beholding the physical aspect of beauty, craves for a beauty that is a lot deeper.

A beauty that is not immediately tangible by the senses; but, a kind of beauty that is perceived by our feelings. Which, I would say, is the type of beauty that is perceived and accepted by our very own souls.

As an example that is directly reflective of our very own lives, and something that each and everyone of us have experienced - take a handsome or a beautiful person. Looking at them from afar, one can immediately say 'he is handsome' or 'she is beautiful', and as something intrinsic in us, there is an immediate attraction to the beauty that beheld.

But, why is this so? I'd argue that in the deepest core of our soul, it longs for the ultimate beauty, which you may already be aware without even have to guess as this is known by you and me, is God. But, we'll talk more about this later.

Now, what I pointed out is the initial reaction to something beautiful, and immediate attraction.

Now, as time passes and this is true for the most of us, and something this may be a statement that is not going to resonate for some, that the physical aspect of beauty fades in the eyes of the beholder. Yes, one will still be in awe when looking at the physical aspect of the beauty of the person no matter how many times you look at the person. However, once you get to know a beautiful person, one tends to distance himself from someone who's physically beautiful but has an ugly personality.

At this stage, the physical attributes of beauty will no longer matter and becomes less attractive given if there's ugliness in one's personality. This is the craving for man to experience a deeper kind of beauty.

On top of this, it is in the nature of man to always strive for something more. Once the satisfaction is reached, in this case, the physical beauty, one tends to look beyond the physicality of the beauty, and searches the deeper side of the humanity of the beautiful person. We are never contented, we want more. Much more if we're talking about beauty.

Spoiler: This the desire of our soul to experience God, who is the ultimate beauty of all, and the source of all that is beautiful. More on this later.

Von Balthasar then continues to present that beauty is not an option that can be added to truth and goodness. No. He argues that beauty is essential that works in partnership with goodness and truth.

While wring the above paragraph, these three core attributes of Christian belief is like the Holy Trinity: Goodness, Truth & Beauty.

Anyway, going back. In terms of how the Church, or the local parishes we have or the diocese, specifically, they are able to narrate and present the Goodness and Truth of our belief. However, in most times, the Beauty part is neglected.

But, what exactly does beauty look like when it comes to the Catholic Faith? Of course, we are not talking about handsome priests and beautiful nuns only. No, far be it from us. But, yes, we also are not denying that both of those are present in the Church and we're not complaining. Why would we, right?

The kind of beauty we are talking about in the Church are like these, for example, a beautiful liturgy. Regardless if it's the Traditional Latin Mass or the Novus Ordo - we want and we need a mass that is reverent, with reverent people, and most especially, with a reverent priest. The kind of priest who knows full well that he is representing Christ.

A beautiful music, a beautiful sermon, a clean and beautiful church, a beautiful explanation of the Bible passages that's being read during mass, and all the other beautifuls. These are the kinds of beautiful thing that our souls strive to experience.

There needs to be an awareness on the part of those representing the church, that while they are responsible to spread Goodness and Truth, both in their work and deed, they also need to be aware that it's not just those cores that they're responsible of showing - they are equally responsible for showing beauty.

But, going back to the point I made that after some time man tends to look beyond what is physically beautiful. We strive to see more. We are not contended with just seeing something that is beautiful physically.

For our clergy, they also need to strive to just show the physical beauty of our faith, they also need to they the beauty of their souls. For a parishioner, what may be a beautiful church if the parish priest has a corrupted, dark soul? The kind of priest who never connects with flock and instead just runs straight to his room after mass.

For the ultimate highlight of showing Goodness, Truth & Beauty - through deeds and words, is to lead each and every soul to the ultimate form of God's beauty: Jesus Christ.

Everything should lead back or point to Christ.

But, why do Hans Urs Von Balthasar would say that Christ is the ultimate beauty? We need to note that "He holds all creation together in himself". The source of what is true, good and beautiful is the ultimate Truth, the ultimate Good and the Ultimate Beauty.

Jesus Christ is not only physically beautiful, He is also internally beautiful. The true beauty is the Lord's self-giving love, Von Balthasar said. The self-giving love is the most beautiful in all things beautiful as it is the most complete. "There's no greater love than this, for one to lay down his life for his friends." Oh, it is so beautifully said.

Now, the possibility of this kind of love that we are pertaining to in this write-up being misunderstood is immensely huge. In our present time, when love is mentioned, it is almost always equated to something romantic. The kind of love that is consummated by man and woman, or, sadly, in this corrupt generation, between the same sexes.

No, the kind of love we are talking about is not something that is romantic; although, in a sense, it may also be one because the author of love encompasses all kinds of love.

But, going back, the love that we are pertaining to in this write-up is the kind of love that is all encompassing, as it may already have been obvious, although it may be something, for those who are not familiar with what is wrong from wrong, an outdated concept in this modern world, which is actually not.

In our modern times, we need more beauty in the church, especially the inner beauty of our clergy as they are supposed to showcase Christ in each and every one of them; but, also for us, as Christian, we are likewise called to showcase the inner beauty of our souls that when those who haven't embraced Christ, when they see how we showcase ourselves they'd want to embrace Christ.

Let us pray for each other.