February 9, 2013 – Catechism 2129 – 2141

I write this as I am surrounded by images that help me transcend and take my thoughts towards God. I am looking at a beautiful image of Christ after being scourged, with the crown on Head. He looks sad is the easiest word to describe it. It makes you wonder what He was thinking during His last moments on Earth, during His trial, while they beat Him. Next to that, an image of the Resurrection. There are parts of it I still don’t understand and I feel the artist brought modern soldiers from his era into the painting, but Christ radiance is the focus and you feel the awh that accompanied that moment. To my right is a window of St. Juan and the image of our lady and above me a beautiful rendering of her coronation in Heaven.

There is not a single ounce of my being that understands these to be images that I worship. I don’t understand the leap to that conclusion. They help me reflect on Christ, His life, His mother, those followers that came before me. There is no idol worship in these images, it is encouragement and thoughtful prayer that they bring. I pity those that require bare walls in order to feel they are not worshipping idols. There is beauty to be brought in the art of God and it can significantly improve your prayer. When you walk into St. Peter’s and stand in awh of the art and the beauty, you will quickly understand that there is no worshipping of idols but a constant pointing to God. The beauty and the art brings you to God in a very special way.