Goodness, truth, beauty and flowers

“Why do most women like flowers?”, (men may ask themselves). Well, the obvious answer is because flowers are beautiful. When a man gives a women flowers, he is associating her with the loveliness of the flowers: He is calling her beautiful, and she in turn, feels cherished and loved.

God does the same for us every day. He provides us with goodness, truth and beauty in various forms in our day-to-day lives.

Many of us (myself included) are just blind to it.

In fact, the “trinity” of beauty, truth and goodness are evidence of the Holy Trinity of God, Who is perfect and unending Truth, Beauty and Goodness Himself (CCC 2500).

“All for one, and [n]one for all.”

And when a culture lacks one, it lacks them all. Why?

Because beauty, goodness and truth transcend human capability. Without God, we would not be breathing right now (we cannot sustain ourselves) (CCC 300), let alone possess these goods to the exclusion of God!

Though truth generates goodness, and goodness produces beauty, they are not ends unto themselves but paths to the greatest Good (God).

And societies either reflect His glorious creations, or they don’t.

What about our society? Have you noticed a nationwide influx of lovely gardens, inspiring music or edifying poetry? Are people generally polite, humble, civilized and patient with one another? Do you often see well-dressed men in pressed shirts, polished shoes and ties, or women dressed in attractive feminine clothing that accentuates their beauty, not body parts (Rom 6:13)–even at weddings or funerals?

Today, we are more likely to see people dressed in spandex or sweat pants.

How often have you come across a recent work of art that has edified your faith, or stepped into a newly-built cathedral or church that was so breathtaking in its beauty that you almost wept?

The truth is without these generational inspirations, any society would be left devoid of meaning and depth because it would be missing Jesus Christ.

As prolific Franco-English author and poet, Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), rightly stated, “There are only two alternatives for society; Christ or chaos.”

In short, things become increasingly ugly in such a culture, and it is left ripe for attack.

Attacks

According to CatholicVote, since the Supreme Court decision leak of Roe v. Wade in May of 2022, 240 Catholic Churches in the United States have been desecrated (i.e. graffiti, arson, destruction of property, holy items that are destroyed or stolen), with 104 of the attacks occurring in 2023 alone.

And if we think this is by accident, we are either deceiving ourselves or in denial as a battle rages around us.

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”

The above truism has been credited to Mark Twain. (Though I can’t find a reference as to when or where he said this.)

Nevertheless, we can observe similar attacks on truth, beauty and goodness on a societal level throughout human history–and we don’t have to go that far back to see them.

Take the reign of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union (1924-1953), for instance. To enforce Communist ideology, all religious practices were immediately forced to cease, and all who considered a threat to the government were executed, forced into labor camps or imprisoned. Personal property was dissolved or taken away, and people were made to live in tiny apartments within vast buildings–ugly, square blocks.

The Soviet government limited the size of each apartment on purpose so families would stay small and parents would have less children. They instituted longer working hours, weakening marriage and family life. Less time together meant weaker emotional bonds. The children belonged to the government, not the parents; and the schools brainwashed them into believing this since kindergarten.

Stalin thought that if he cut off avenues to God, he would essentially be cutting off God’s power. But what he didn’t know is that this is impossible. While it is true that we can remove ourselves from God’s divine protection and be made vulnerable to satanic attacks, God’s Providence remains, and we human beings cannot thwart His will for the world.

I’ve written before that our idols become our addictions, and our addictions limit our freedom.

Yet despite our addictions, God continually reveals the truth to us individually and allows those who are genuinely looking for the truth to find it.

Division, destruction and disorder

Truth, beauty and goodness are forms of liberation for us, and we need them to thrive. And anything that attacks them are, in fact, a form of oppression on a culture by the evil one. The inversion of truth, beauty and goodness mocks the Holy-Trinity by sowing division, destruction and disorder on the individual, familial and societal level.

We human beings thrive on singlemindedness, integrity and order.

Our culture today is a product of their suppression and outright attempts to obliterate their presence by intimidation (bullying) through division, destruction and disorder.

Are we really free?

So we must ask ourselves: “Are we really free?”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.) says, “The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just” (1733).

And that’s where God’s grace comes in; it allows us to do what was impossible to do on our own because of our weaknesses. It allows us to continually be liberated.

St. Pope John Paul II said, “‘Liberation’ means man’s inner transformation, which is a consequence of the knowledge of truth. The transformation is, therefore, a spiritual process, in which man matures in true righteousness and holiness” (General Audience, February 21, 1979).

Just as happiness is the natural biproduct of living a virtuous life, goodness, truth and beauty manifested within a society is the natural consequence of a culture that has embraced God.

That means, we are not simply fighting an absence on goodness, beauty and truth but the attacks on them, because–like God–they cannot cease to exist.

Staying in “the ring”

So how do Christians fight back?

American exorcist, Father Chad Ripperger, gives us the answer–Go on the offensive–develop more goodness, truth and beauty in your soul through the meritorious struggle of building virtue:

Double-down on learning about your Catholic faith. Go to battle against your sins by going to Holy Confession more often. Learn to pray the Holy Rosary, pray every day and go to Holy Mass more often as a way to thank God. Learn what it means to be a Christian, and be a good example of Christian behavior. Set the bar high for your children. And as Father Ripperger says, never, ever, back down or tolerate evil (especially within yourself), and go to your Mother.

“The thief comes only to kill and steal and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Have a blessed Holy Triduum.