What is Beauty? Pope Benedict Answers | Mother Natalia

Summary

In this insightful reflection, Mother Natalia, a Byzantine Catholic nun, explores the profound nature of beauty as a spiritual encounter. Drawing from the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and theologians like Plato and Nicholas Cabasilas, she emphasizes beauty's role in awakening a longing for God and the transcendent. Beauty, though often cheapened or distorted by society, serves as an icon leading us to God, rather than an idol. She encourages embracing the ache of longing for heavenly fulfillment and seeing beauty as a pathway to deeper spiritual connection with Christ and His love.

Takeaways

• 🙏 Beauty is a crucial topic in our times, and it has been central to the speaker's reflections for months.
• 📜 Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Ratzinger) emphasized that beauty is a true form of knowledge, essential for deepening faith and theology.
• 🪞 The speaker reflects on how modern society cheapens beauty by making it too accessible, distorting its true essence.
• 😈 The devil cannot create beauty, only distort it, turning it into something disordered or perverted.
• 💫 Beauty creates longing and nostalgia, awakening in us a deep desire for heaven and the transcendent, as described by Plato and Cardinal Ratzinger.
• 💔 Beauty can be painful because it reveals the gap between our current existence and the eternal beauty we long for in heaven.
• 👀 Beauty, when rightly understood, is an icon that leads us toward God, but society often turns it into an idol or rejects it out of fear.
• 📿 There are two dangers in responding to beauty: idolatry (worshiping the beauty itself) and iconoclasm (rejecting beauty out of fear).
• ✝️ The beauty of Christ, especially in his crucifixion, transcends mere aesthetics and represents a deeper, redeeming beauty.
• 💖 Longing for beauty, when rightly ordered toward Christ, gives us the courage and strength to make sacrifices and pursue heaven.

Q & A

Question 1: Why does Mother Natalia believe beauty is an important topic for today's times?

Mother Natalia believes beauty is an important topic for today's times because it has been a central focus in her prayers and reflections. She suggests that beauty has been cheapened and distorted in modern society, making it necessary to rediscover its true value and purpose.

Question 2: What does Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Ratzinger) say about the relationship between theology and beauty?

Pope Benedict XVI emphasizes that while precise theological reflection is important, rejecting the response of the heart to beauty impoverishes faith and theology. He advocates for rediscovering beauty as a true form of knowledge that can deepen our faith.

Question 3: How does Mother Natalia describe society's current relationship with beauty?

Mother Natalia describes society's relationship with beauty as one that often cheapens and distorts it. Beauty is frequently grasped at for convenience, possession, and instant gratification, rather than allowing it to inspire longing and deeper reflection.

Question 4: What is the significance of the devil's inability to create beauty, according to Mother Natalia?

Mother Natalia explains that the devil cannot create beauty, as only God can create good things. The devil can only distort or disorder beauty, turning something good into something less perfect or corrupt.

Question 5: How does Plato, as referenced by Cardinal Ratzinger, view the encounter with beauty?

Plato views the encounter with beauty as a 'salutary emotional shock' that makes man aware of his longing for something beyond himself, driving him toward the transcendent. Beauty reminds man of the perfection he has lost and inspires a quest for that higher form.

Question 6: Why does beauty cause suffering, according to the script?

Beauty causes suffering because it awakens in us a longing for heaven, reminding us of something we cannot fully possess in this life. This longing makes us aware of our deep desire for God and eternity, creating an ache or wound that reflects our separation from ultimate fulfillment.

Question 7: How does Nicholas Cabasilas describe the effect of beauty on the soul?

Nicholas Cabasilas describes beauty as a force that wounds the soul with longing for the Bridegroom (Christ). He says that when humans experience such deep desire, it is a sign that Christ has sent a ray of His beauty into their eyes, awakening a spiritual longing.

Question 8: What is the difference between beauty as an icon and beauty as an idol?

Beauty as an icon points beyond itself to God and the divine. However, when beauty is grasped and used for selfish purposes, it becomes an idol, leading to idolatry. The icon leads to transcendence, while the idol traps us in worldly desires.

Question 9: What are the two common Christian responses to beauty that Mother Natalia critiques?

Mother Natalia critiques two common responses to beauty: (1) idolizing beauty by grasping at it inappropriately, and (2) rejecting beauty out of fear of longing, which she relates to the heresy of iconoclasm—destroying or disregarding icons that point to God.

Question 10: What is the significance of Christ's beauty on the cross, according to the script?

Christ's beauty on the cross goes beyond physical aesthetics. Although His appearance is bloodied and disfigured, His true beauty is spiritual and redemptive. This deeper beauty points to the glory of God's love and truth, transcending mere physical perception.