The Pinnacle of Created Beauty: The Blessed Virgin Mary
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2015, 2020
What is Beauty?
Beauty is often a word that is misunderstood. It is often a term used in a subjective manner to describe something that is pleasing to the senses. It is true that beauty can have a subjective element to it. One can personally find a Gothic church more pleasing to the senses than a sunset over the gulf coast for example. Both, however, can be described as being objectively beautiful. The gothic church pleases the senses because it brings to the senses the truths of God through architecture, art, and liturgy. Truth is always beautiful. God's majesty and His truth are presented through the marvelous stained glass or the statues of His Saints masterfully carved out of marble or wood. Likewise, we see the handiwork of God in the sunset over the gulf coast which God created and sustains. There is also beauty in our actions when we perform acts of virtue or goodness. These are objectively beautiful.
Something that is disordered towards its form and nature is not considered to be objectively beautiful. The most obvious visible example is a human being that is physically deformed. Although that person retains the image and likeness of God and retains an inward beauty, their exterior appearance is said to be objectively ugly. No matter how pious we are, we never would consider the physical form of a person who is severely afflicted with the disease of leprosy to be objectively physically beautiful. Ugliness by definition is the description of the corruption of something and this includes the material and immaterial. Likewise, we can define things that are the opposite of beauty concerning our actions. We can objectively say that things that are sinful are not beautiful since these actions go against nature and against the teleology of man properly speaking, which is God. Ideas or acts that stem from disordered appetites are outside the bounds of beauty and are considered to be ugly or deformed. When we see sin being depicted on television, for example, it is not beautiful.
When a person lives in a state of sin, this state is objectively ugly since it goes against the reason and the end in which God created us for. A person who lives perpetually in adultery, for example, lives in a spiritually repulsive life that defies beauty. Beauty then can be objectively defined according to how perfectly something conforms to its nature. This is in relation to its teleology regarding either the physical, the actual or the spiritual. Something that conveys a truth about God and His Saints, for example, can objectively be defined as having beauty. Something which depicts a corruption of one's form and nature can be objectively defined as being ugly.
We can then also say that things which are evil by nature do not convey beauty, but ugliness. Thus the demons are not beautiful because they go against God Himself who is the pinnacle of beauty. This is why they are always traditionally depicted in art as being grotesque. The demons are in many ways the pinnacle of ugliness. Thus, evil actions such as abortion are also never beautiful. The mutilation of one's body is always defined as ugliness. Evil or satanic acts, or acts against virtue are always ugly. Music that conveys sinful disorder is not beautiful. People who commit evil acts are not beautiful in their actions, although their physical appearance may convey beauty by having more perfection of bodily proportions, and so forth. Keeping this in mind, let us contemplate the pinnacle of created beauty, Our Blessed Mother Of God.
The Perfection of Created Beauty, Our Blessed Mother
Now we turn to created beauty par excellence. Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary defines the fullness of beauty in every sense of the word. Aside from the incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there is no higher beauty we can contemplate. Since Jesus is God, we can say that there is no created creature under God that is more beautiful or perfect than Our Lady. She conveys the highest beauty in both the physical and spiritual attributes of all created creatures. She was chosen by God from all eternity to be His Mother as well as to be the anti-thesis to Eve, the one who crushes the head of Satan rather than falling to his prey. While Eve was the mother of all fallen men, Our Lady is the Mother of redeemed men. Saint Ireneaus wrote of Our Lady, "The knot of Eve's disobedience was loosened by Mary's obedience. The bonds fastened by the virgin Eve through disbelief were untied by the virgin Mary through faith."
Our Lady is often described by the mystics who have seen her in apparitions as too beautiful to describe and too beautiful to depict in any image. When Mother Mariana de Jesus saw Our Lady as 'Our Lady of Good Success' in Quito, Ecuador, she could not describe her beauty. In fact, when Our Lady asked Mother Mariana to have a statue made of her, she thought it was a futile task because she said no one could make a statue that would ever come near to doing her justice in depicting her beauty. As we know, the statue was started by a local artisan, but it was finished by an archangel so that the statue would at least convey something of her great beauty, although of course still imperfectly. If you have ever had the opportunity to see the beauty of the statue of Our Lady of Good Success in person, you will understand what I am saying. It is theologically certain that there is no created creature more beautiful. Saint Bernadette said the following after seeing Our Lady. "My Lady is beautiful, beautiful beyond compare; so beautiful that when one has seen her once, one would wish to die so as to see her again; so beautiful that when one has seen her, one can no longer love anything earthly."
Our Lady's spiritual beauty is also indescribable and incomprehensible. She gave her full ascent to God's command and with her full will and cooperated with every grace that was given to her to its fullest. Our Lady never had the stain of original sin on her soul. She was never touched or stained by evil. Saint Ephraim the Syrian in 361 praises Our Lord and His Mother, "You alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you nor any stains upon your Mother. Who of my children can compare in beauty to these?" Her beauty is pure because she fully and perfectly represents in her form and nature the light of God's image to which all men are created. She is the epitome of beauty in all things human. Her prayers, her words, her thoughts, her ideas, her actions, and her love are all beautiful in the fullest sense of the term. She also possesses beauty by her virtue in overcoming the evil in our world and in our own souls. Her perfect beauty conquers the ugliness of the devil and his attempts to thwart the beauty of God's plan of salvation. There is also beauty in Our Lady crushing the head of Satan, stamping out the evil in the world, and untying the knot of sin. Why do we call her Our Lady? It is because she is the Queen or Empress of Heaven!
What beauty there is when Our Lady opens her arms revealing her perfect, divine Son, Jesus Christ! What beauty there is in asking Our Lady to help us in our spiritual journey. What beauty there is in her intercession and in her maternal affection. Having a strong devotion to Our Lady is not an option for the true Christian. She is by virtue of her divine motherhood, Mediatrix, Coredemptrix, and Advocate. Our Lady is calling us to spend more time in prayer and penance because she loves us. We should heed her words that she conveyed at Fatima, Lourdes, La Salette, Akita, and Quito and pray the rosary daily as well as offer up prayers and reparation for the ugliness of sin in the world. Our temporal and our eternal future depends on this!
Our Lady is also specifically calling us to spread her devotion under the title of Our Lady of Good Success so that the time will be shortened until her reign comes to put the breaks on the devil's plan of death, destruction, and damnation. We can hasten her intercession by pleading to her and offering up novenas under this noble and glorious title. The more time we spend with Our Lord and Our Lady the more we will see true beauty in our lives and in our world come to fruition. As our souls become more pure and virtuous, we become instruments guided by the Holy Ghost and henceforth we become more beautiful in the eyes of God. As we conform more to our true nature as being Son's of God, as we were created to be, the more the beauty of God grows in us.
I will leave you with the thoughts of Saint Gemma Galgani who demonstrated a great love for Our Lady throughout her life. May we also echo these same words in our own lives.
"..what great goodness this Heavenly Mother has always shown me! What would have become of me, if I had not had her? She has always helped me in my spiritual wants; she has preserved me from countless dangers; she has freed me from the hands of the devil who was ceaselessly coming to molest me; she pleaded my cause with Jesus when I sinned, and she soothed Him when I moved Him to anger by my wicked life; she has taught me to know Him and love Him, to be good and to please Him. Ah, my dear Mother, I will love thee always and forever." what great goodness this Heavenly Mother has always shown me! What would have become of me, if I had not had her? She has always helped me in my spiritual wants; she has preserved me from countless dangers; she has freed me from the hands of the devil who was ceaselessly coming to molest me; she pleaded my cause with Jesus when I sinned, and she soothed Him when I moved Him to anger by my wicked life; she has taught me to know Him and love Him, to be good and to please Him. Ah, my dear Mother, I will love thee always and forever."
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2015, 2020
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| Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland |
What is Beauty?
Beauty is often a word that is misunderstood. It is often a term used in a subjective manner to describe something that is pleasing to the senses. It is true that beauty can have a subjective element to it. One can personally find a Gothic church more pleasing to the senses than a sunset over the gulf coast for example. Both, however, can be described as being objectively beautiful. The gothic church pleases the senses because it brings to the senses the truths of God through architecture, art, and liturgy. Truth is always beautiful. God's majesty and His truth are presented through the marvelous stained glass or the statues of His Saints masterfully carved out of marble or wood. Likewise, we see the handiwork of God in the sunset over the gulf coast which God created and sustains. There is also beauty in our actions when we perform acts of virtue or goodness. These are objectively beautiful.
Something that is disordered towards its form and nature is not considered to be objectively beautiful. The most obvious visible example is a human being that is physically deformed. Although that person retains the image and likeness of God and retains an inward beauty, their exterior appearance is said to be objectively ugly. No matter how pious we are, we never would consider the physical form of a person who is severely afflicted with the disease of leprosy to be objectively physically beautiful. Ugliness by definition is the description of the corruption of something and this includes the material and immaterial. Likewise, we can define things that are the opposite of beauty concerning our actions. We can objectively say that things that are sinful are not beautiful since these actions go against nature and against the teleology of man properly speaking, which is God. Ideas or acts that stem from disordered appetites are outside the bounds of beauty and are considered to be ugly or deformed. When we see sin being depicted on television, for example, it is not beautiful.
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| Saint Mary's Krakow, Poland |
When a person lives in a state of sin, this state is objectively ugly since it goes against the reason and the end in which God created us for. A person who lives perpetually in adultery, for example, lives in a spiritually repulsive life that defies beauty. Beauty then can be objectively defined according to how perfectly something conforms to its nature. This is in relation to its teleology regarding either the physical, the actual or the spiritual. Something that conveys a truth about God and His Saints, for example, can objectively be defined as having beauty. Something which depicts a corruption of one's form and nature can be objectively defined as being ugly.
We can then also say that things which are evil by nature do not convey beauty, but ugliness. Thus the demons are not beautiful because they go against God Himself who is the pinnacle of beauty. This is why they are always traditionally depicted in art as being grotesque. The demons are in many ways the pinnacle of ugliness. Thus, evil actions such as abortion are also never beautiful. The mutilation of one's body is always defined as ugliness. Evil or satanic acts, or acts against virtue are always ugly. Music that conveys sinful disorder is not beautiful. People who commit evil acts are not beautiful in their actions, although their physical appearance may convey beauty by having more perfection of bodily proportions, and so forth. Keeping this in mind, let us contemplate the pinnacle of created beauty, Our Blessed Mother Of God.
The Perfection of Created Beauty, Our Blessed Mother
Now we turn to created beauty par excellence. Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary defines the fullness of beauty in every sense of the word. Aside from the incarnation of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there is no higher beauty we can contemplate. Since Jesus is God, we can say that there is no created creature under God that is more beautiful or perfect than Our Lady. She conveys the highest beauty in both the physical and spiritual attributes of all created creatures. She was chosen by God from all eternity to be His Mother as well as to be the anti-thesis to Eve, the one who crushes the head of Satan rather than falling to his prey. While Eve was the mother of all fallen men, Our Lady is the Mother of redeemed men. Saint Ireneaus wrote of Our Lady, "The knot of Eve's disobedience was loosened by Mary's obedience. The bonds fastened by the virgin Eve through disbelief were untied by the virgin Mary through faith."
Our Lady is often described by the mystics who have seen her in apparitions as too beautiful to describe and too beautiful to depict in any image. When Mother Mariana de Jesus saw Our Lady as 'Our Lady of Good Success' in Quito, Ecuador, she could not describe her beauty. In fact, when Our Lady asked Mother Mariana to have a statue made of her, she thought it was a futile task because she said no one could make a statue that would ever come near to doing her justice in depicting her beauty. As we know, the statue was started by a local artisan, but it was finished by an archangel so that the statue would at least convey something of her great beauty, although of course still imperfectly. If you have ever had the opportunity to see the beauty of the statue of Our Lady of Good Success in person, you will understand what I am saying. It is theologically certain that there is no created creature more beautiful. Saint Bernadette said the following after seeing Our Lady. "My Lady is beautiful, beautiful beyond compare; so beautiful that when one has seen her once, one would wish to die so as to see her again; so beautiful that when one has seen her, one can no longer love anything earthly."
Our Lady's spiritual beauty is also indescribable and incomprehensible. She gave her full ascent to God's command and with her full will and cooperated with every grace that was given to her to its fullest. Our Lady never had the stain of original sin on her soul. She was never touched or stained by evil. Saint Ephraim the Syrian in 361 praises Our Lord and His Mother, "You alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you nor any stains upon your Mother. Who of my children can compare in beauty to these?" Her beauty is pure because she fully and perfectly represents in her form and nature the light of God's image to which all men are created. She is the epitome of beauty in all things human. Her prayers, her words, her thoughts, her ideas, her actions, and her love are all beautiful in the fullest sense of the term. She also possesses beauty by her virtue in overcoming the evil in our world and in our own souls. Her perfect beauty conquers the ugliness of the devil and his attempts to thwart the beauty of God's plan of salvation. There is also beauty in Our Lady crushing the head of Satan, stamping out the evil in the world, and untying the knot of sin. Why do we call her Our Lady? It is because she is the Queen or Empress of Heaven!
What beauty there is when Our Lady opens her arms revealing her perfect, divine Son, Jesus Christ! What beauty there is in asking Our Lady to help us in our spiritual journey. What beauty there is in her intercession and in her maternal affection. Having a strong devotion to Our Lady is not an option for the true Christian. She is by virtue of her divine motherhood, Mediatrix, Coredemptrix, and Advocate. Our Lady is calling us to spend more time in prayer and penance because she loves us. We should heed her words that she conveyed at Fatima, Lourdes, La Salette, Akita, and Quito and pray the rosary daily as well as offer up prayers and reparation for the ugliness of sin in the world. Our temporal and our eternal future depends on this!
Our Lady is also specifically calling us to spread her devotion under the title of Our Lady of Good Success so that the time will be shortened until her reign comes to put the breaks on the devil's plan of death, destruction, and damnation. We can hasten her intercession by pleading to her and offering up novenas under this noble and glorious title. The more time we spend with Our Lord and Our Lady the more we will see true beauty in our lives and in our world come to fruition. As our souls become more pure and virtuous, we become instruments guided by the Holy Ghost and henceforth we become more beautiful in the eyes of God. As we conform more to our true nature as being Son's of God, as we were created to be, the more the beauty of God grows in us.
I will leave you with the thoughts of Saint Gemma Galgani who demonstrated a great love for Our Lady throughout her life. May we also echo these same words in our own lives.
"..what great goodness this Heavenly Mother has always shown me! What would have become of me, if I had not had her? She has always helped me in my spiritual wants; she has preserved me from countless dangers; she has freed me from the hands of the devil who was ceaselessly coming to molest me; she pleaded my cause with Jesus when I sinned, and she soothed Him when I moved Him to anger by my wicked life; she has taught me to know Him and love Him, to be good and to please Him. Ah, my dear Mother, I will love thee always and forever." what great goodness this Heavenly Mother has always shown me! What would have become of me, if I had not had her? She has always helped me in my spiritual wants; she has preserved me from countless dangers; she has freed me from the hands of the devil who was ceaselessly coming to molest me; she pleaded my cause with Jesus when I sinned, and she soothed Him when I moved Him to anger by my wicked life; she has taught me to know Him and love Him, to be good and to please Him. Ah, my dear Mother, I will love thee always and forever."
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| Holy Mass Being Said with Our Lady of Good Success in Quito |
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