{"id":42885,"date":"2013-12-15T13:32:05","date_gmt":"2013-12-15T19:32:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=42885"},"modified":"2013-12-15T13:32:45","modified_gmt":"2013-12-15T19:32:45","slug":"42885","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/42885\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Sacred Art Wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sacred Art<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Art, for centuries, has been a method of communicating different information on the history and truths of people. \u00a0The prehistoric human used art to communicate or record their great historical stories and achievements. \u00a0One example of this is the images found in the Lascaux Cave in Southwestern France. \u00a0Many centuries later the Egyptians used hieroglyphics to communicate tales of their royalty, society and of their gods. \u00a0Today, Catholics and many other Christians, use images to communicate the truths of faith as well as stories of the virtuous elders that went before us. \u00a0But the question arises, after hearing so many people speak against images, is using sacred images unacceptable? \u00a0The first commandment does state that we should not have any graven images, doesn\u2019t it? \u00a0So why do we allow these images? \u00a0Is God displeased with our use of images?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shall not make for yourself any graven image\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

First it is important to realize that the first commandment, found in Deuteronomy, does in fact state that \u201cyou shall not make for yourself any graven image\u201d. \u00a0God says, \u201cSince you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure….\u201d (Deut 4:15-16). \u00a0This was commanded to them because God transcends all human works and therefore cannot be truly represented with images made of him by the human hand. But, in the Old Testament, God did allow for symbolic images to be made to point the Israelites toward salvation. \u00a0An example of this was the bronze serpent erected by Moses to cure the people of the deadly serpent bites they had received in the desert. \u00a0Another example is found in the book of Exodus when it reads that<\/p>\n

\u201cBezalel made the Ark of acacia wood…He made two cherubim from<\/span><\/span> hammered gold and placed them on the two ends of the atonement cover. He molded the cherubim on each end of the atonement cover, making it all of one piece of gold. The cherubim faced each other and looked down on the atonement cover. With their wings spread above it, they protected it\u201d (Exodus 37: 1, 7-9).<\/p>\n

The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes it clear that the images are not that which receives the worship that is due to God alone but rather, \u201c\u2018the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,\u2019 and \u2018whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.\u2019 The honor paid to sacred images is a “respectful veneration,” not the adoration due to God alone\u201d (CCC 2132). \u00a0And so it is that the use of sacred images is not idolatry or the worship of \u201cthe golden calf\u201d, but rather they are signs pointing to the reality of God and to the relationship humans are called to live with him.<\/p>\n

Man\u2019s use of Art to express his Relationship\"the-annunciation\"<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that man, who is created in the likeness and image of God, uses his artistic abilities, which is an ability distinctive of the human person, to express the truth of his relationship with his creator. \u00a0Man uses this creative ability to communicate the truth and love of God, which comes from God or is returned to God by man. \u00a0\u201cArt is not an absolute end in itself, but is ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man\u201d (CCC 2501). \u00a0Sacred art should always point in the direction of God, since God is the ultimate goal for all men. \u00a0For this reason, \u201csacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God\u201d (CCC 2502).<\/p>\n

Jesus as the Image<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This beauty of truth and love was made visible to mankind through Christ since he \u201creflects the glory of God\u201d and is consubstantial with the Father. \u00a0He brought forth the face of God to the earth. \u00a0Jesus makes this clear when he says, \u201cHe who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, \u2018Show us the Father\u2019? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?\u201d (John 14: 9-10). \u00a0It is through Christ that we are able to recognize that he is the one \u201cin whom \u2018the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily\u2019\u201d (2502). \u00a0He is the visible presence of God on earth. \u00a0This same beauty is also reflected in the most holy Virgin, the angels and saints. \u00a0\"nativity-icon\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Creation of Sacred Art<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sacred art should always be created with the utmost reverence for it all is meant to express the realities of heaven, pointing mankind to those realities, leading all people to a deeper relationship with God. \u00a0On<\/span><\/span> this point the Catechism states that<\/p>\n

For this reason bishops, personally or through delegates, should see to the promotion of sacred art, old and new, in all its forms and, with the same religious care, remove from the liturgy and from places of worship everything which is not in conformity with the truth of faith and the authentic beauty of sacred art (CCC 2503).<\/p>\n

All sacred art should and must be in conformity with the truths of faith and never simply to advance man\u2019s own agendas. \u00a0The church has made it clear that Sacred Art should be done in great taste and with great respect and fear of the Lord.<\/p>\n

We have seen in society many attempts to bring \u201cshock value\u201d into art by using scandalizing images to \u00a0communicate an idea of the artist. \u00a0There have been recent artists that have taken sacred images of our Lady of Guadalupe and turned them into \u201cmodern art\u201d. \u00a0Some of these pieces depict our Lady in very offensive ways while others depict her in a more respectful, yet still, borderline offensive. \u00a0For this reason the church entrusts her leaders to discern and choose appropriate art for her. \u00a0Not just anything is appropriate for use as Sacred Art.<\/p>\n

Images and Advent\/Christmas<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

During this advent and Christmas season, remember that the images we use and venerate do not stand as the actual presence of God or the Saints, but rather are windows that helps us look into the full reality of what is in heaven and what is around us constantly calling us to holiness and faith. \u00a0Be not afraid to put up your statues of Jesus, Joseph and Mary and pray through them to the heavenly courts.<\/p>\n

These images are like the photos we have of our beloved who have gone on, especially those who have taught us important life lessons; each time we look at their photos we are reminded of what impact they had on our lives. \u00a0So are the images of our beloved ones in the faith who have gone before us and who were given the title of Saint.<\/p>\n

Always remember that all who have gone to their eternal rest in heaven are not dead but are alive. \u00a0We believe that God is the God of the living and not of the dead. \u00a0Mark says, “He is not God<\/span> of the dead but of the living” (Mk 12:27, NAB). \u00a0\"all-saints-day-011\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So, let us remember the beauty of our Faith through the sacred images that God has given us through human vessels and let us celebrate the wonderment of heaven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sacred Art Art, for centuries, has been a method of communicating different information on the history and truths of people. \u00a0The prehistoric human used art to communicate or record their great historical stories and achievements. \u00a0One example of this is the images found in the Lascaux Cave in Southwestern France. \u00a0Many centuries later the Egyptians… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[671],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-column","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":121445,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/the-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":42885,"position":0},"title":"The Heart","author":"Rachel","date":"June 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This past weekend the wisdom of the Church invited us\u00a0to experience a beautiful truth - the unity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 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Like many people, I find God to be very visible in His creation of nature. I\u2019ve had many powerful encounters of prayer in beautiful\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/InVenice-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":50138,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/07\/new-sacred-art-installed-st-vincent-de-paul\/","url_meta":{"origin":42885,"position":3},"title":"New Sacred Art Installed at St. Vincent de Paul","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"July 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes we Catholics take the beauty of our churches for granted. In our tradition, we believe that the house of God deserves our best and our first. 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