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Ceremonial Art - Abigale Bell

 

There is something beautiful about the ceremony involved in a Catholic church service. Not only in the church, but in the daily lives of devoted Christians. It is a testament to the beauty of the One they worship. 

The Mass is such a wonderful picture in the church of devotion and praise. It is amazing to me the care with which the people went about performing this ceremony. The chanting would have been so majestic. I can imagine the sound of so many voices resonating in a cathedral; the sounds of worship engulfing the space. 

This picture reminded me of the intentionality and care an artist puts into a work of art. There is a science to creating something beautiful. First, the canvas must be chosen and prepared. Next, paint must be chosen so that it will react well on the canvas and mixed so that it is the right color. Finally, the artist must layer the paint of the canvas; applying the color in just the right places to create an image that is pleasing to the eye. Throughout this process, different techniques can be used; different colors added, but they must contribute to the end goal of the artist. I think this is similar in the worship of the Catholic church. Extreme care is taken in building the cathedral; the background for worship. It is the 'canvas,' if you will, of the service. Next, the chants are chosen which will make up the bulk of the Mass service. It is important that the words of these chants are glorifying to God for they will color the atmosphere of worship. Finally, these chants must be carried out with skill. Choirs practice to perfection so that when they sing, their sound is pleasing to the ear. The beauty and creativity of church music is a testament to its inspiration and object. Similarly, the beauty and creativity of a painting is a testament to its inspiration and object. 

This idea of creating a work of art is carried out through the daily lives of Catholic Christians as well. The same attention to detail is evident in their liturgical calendar. The significance of every time of year is recognized with the utmost respect. Even the hours in the day are structured so that there is a designated time for worship throughout the day. All of this adds to the reverence and beauty of the ceremony of the Catholic church. 


Commented on Jamie's and Haley Riddle's posts. 

Comments

  1. Braylan StringfellowFebruary 8, 2021 at 9:01 PM

    Usually when someone puts so much care and detail into something, it means a lot to them. The amount of detail that was put into mass and the building just shows how much God meant to these people. I think that as Baptist we could and probably should show a little more attention to detail.

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