The Beauty I See (Merry Christmas)

Anybody can do a quick Google search and within a minute find that the modern word ‘Advent’ comes from the Latin adventus which is a noun that means arrival or approach. Advent is a season of eager waiting as we wait for Our Lord Jesus’ arrival.

But everybody knows this and it's boring.

So let me backup to where I mention Latin. Latin is a dead language (meaning it is no longer used regularly by a population and no longer evolving), but it is used regularly in the Catholic Church for prayers and other uses. That is why I decided to take Latin as my foreign language requirement in college.

Latin is a beautiful language full of idioms and jokes and grammatical errors. I’ve come to truly appreciate the language not only for its beauty but in the way it has helped our language and countless others evolve.

Latin is also a pain in the butt to learn and it’s difficulty has led me and millions of other students to Google for help- most especially to help me pass a final that I probably wouldn’t have passed without (If you think I’m joking you give me too much credit).

Before this class, the only Latin I knew was the Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Because of that, I would get the tune of the hymn Tantum Ergo Sacramentum stuck in my head every Latin class. As irritating as getting any tune stuck in your head can be, it was a wonderful reminder to go to Adoration. I've always seen so much beauty in Adoration. From the monstrance to the Latin songs to the silence.

Something I’ve found on Pinterest is this lovely little word called aesthetic. I’ve found if you add that word to any search, the results will be awestrickingly gorgeous. But as I search something like ‘Catholic aesthetic’, I’ve found people tend to mistake the Catholic faith for something dark and twisted. I was shocked because that’s not what I see at all.

Just as what I find in the Latin language, one of the greatest things that pull me farther in love with the Catholic Church is it’s beauty. When I see the Church, I see huge high altars, golden monstrances like rays of sun, candles as numerous as prayers, robes, and crucifixes. I see clemency and gentleness and a guiding, loving hand. I love Catholic art- both old and new (as showcased in this post and many others) because it shows what I and millions others see every day.

Christmas showcases everything I have talked about here today.

The Latin for Christmas is Nativitatus, which also means birth (hence Nativity Scene). (Below is an image of the Vatican's Nativity Scene this year)

The nativity scene, whether portrayed by art or statues, showcases how, for hundreds (scratch that- thousands) of years, the Church patroned art of all kinds. This art presents the beauty within the Catholic Church and the beauty that IS the Catholic Church. The Latin presents the Church’s antiquity, unexpected value in the real world.

This Christmas, seek out the beauty you overlook. Appreciate the nativity scene on your windowsill. Gaze at the snow on the trees. Listen to Christmas music. Laugh with your friends. Go to mass and see the beauty there as well.

Have a merry and blessed Christmas.

#Christmas #Latin #Beauty #Catholic #Art