While God “speaks to our souls through intellectual truth and moral goodness” in addition to beauty, “these forms of communication have become problematic. Many people, especially in modern Western culture, are too intellectually and morally confused to receive such a message.”
Because of this confusion, beauty may be the transcendental which “can get through, where other forms of divine communication may not,” the bishop taught.
“When we begin with beauty, this can then lead to a desire to want to know the truth of the thing that is drawing us, a desire to participate in it. And then the truth can inspire us to do the good, to strive after virtue.”
Bishop Conley said that “clearly, beauty has a major role to play in the New Evangelization” and enumerated three ways in which this can be done: through liturgy; appreciation of historic Christian culture; and openness to beauty in all its forms.
He called beauty in liturgy the “most essential” point, noting that “worship … is the basis of Christian culture” and pointing to examples of great converts who were struck by the solemn rites and extraordinary chants of the Catholic Church.
The bishop’s second recommendation was to become familiar with the beauty of historic Christian culture, such as Gregorian chant, in order to help others who appreciate it to understand the Christian beauty that inspired it.
Finally, he invited Catholics to “open our own minds to beauty, in all its manifestations” in both nature and culture, which will help us to understand beauty as “an earthly reflection of God’s glory.” more here from CNA
I agree liturgy is likely our best chance, outside of inspiring hundreds of millions of Catholics to connect one-on-one with seekers, inquirers, and the curious.
"Many people, especially in modern Western culture, are too intellectually and morally confused to receive such a message."
And those not confused, note the moral and intellectual confusion in the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy: the mismanagement of child predators and the unfair and clueless treatment of theologians.
Beauty in music, certainly. But we've long known that people are also attracted to fine preaching as well as a sincere, friendly, and possibly "beautiful" welcome.
Pope Francis seems to get through with plain talking and prayerful discernment–not a bad model for any of us.
Todd
For those interested in understanding the Transcendentals beyond what Wiki has to offer, this article is somewhat heavy lifting but worth the effort http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentals…
St. Thomas Aquinas treats of the convertibility of the Transcendentals in Question 5 of the First Part of the Summa Theologiae. Below are a couple of on-point quotations from the Question, which is worth a read in its entirety: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/1005.htm
[Goodness and being are the same, but under different aspects; namely, Goodness is desirable] Goodness and being are really the same, and differ only in idea; which is clear from the following argument. The essence of goodness consists in this, that it is in some way desirable. Hence the Philosopher says (Ethic. i): "Goodness is what all desire." Now it is clear that a thing is desirable only in so far as it is perfect; for all desire their own perfection. But everything is perfect so far as it is actual. Therefore it is clear that a thing is perfect so far as it exists; for it is existence that makes all things actual, as is clear from the foregoing (3, 4; 4, 1). Hence it is clear that goodness and being are the same really. But goodness presents the aspect of desirableness, which being does not present. (ST I.5.1 respondeo)
[Beauty and goodness are the same, and while goodness appeals to desire, beauty appeals to the intellect, because beauty's proportions are rational and pleasing to the senses and the mind.] Beauty and goodness in a thing are identical fundamentally; for they are based upon the same thing, namely, the form; and consequently goodness is praised as beauty. But they differ logically, for goodness properly relates to the appetite (goodness being what all things desire); and therefore it has the aspect of an end (the appetite being a kind of movement towards a thing). On the other hand, beauty relates to the cognitive faculty; for beautiful things are those which please when seen. Hence beauty consists in due proportion; for the senses delight in things duly proportioned, as in what is after their own kind–because even sense is a sort of reason, just as is every cognitive faculty. Now since knowledge is by assimilation, and similarity relates to form, beauty properly belongs to the nature of a formal cause. (ST I.5.4 ad 1)