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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

The Problem of Beauty

Fr. David Friel · March 8, 2015

AST WEEK, I wrote about beauty and its contemplation in the scene of the Transfiguration. Richard Clark wrote yesterday about Pope Francis, who recently remarked about the path to “recovering the allure of beauty” in the sacred liturgy. I would like to return again today to the topic of beauty, which I have considered often on these pages.

We are all familiar in some fashion with the “problem of evil.” This problem is frequently formulated as a question: why do bad things happen to good people? Why is evil permitted by a God Who is supposedly omnipotent & benevolent? These are questions that people of faith struggle to answer. They are questions that are addressed over and over again in the Sacred Scriptures, but never does the Bible offer a clear cut answer to the problem that is completely satisfying. Hence why it is called a “problem.”

Only recently did I encounter the concept of “the problem of beauty.” This problem could also be formulated as a question: if God does not exist, why is there so much joy & beauty in the world? This question is not a struggle for believers to answer; it is, rather, a problem for non-believers. What explanation can we give for the joys & beauties of life that have no demonstrable evolutionary benefit to man?

Is life really beautiful? Absolutely. The goodness of life can be confirmed by the natural human desire to prolong it. If life were not essentially good & beautiful, we would not experience death as such a tragedy nor speak of it as a “loss.” The beauty of life, moreover, is so incredibly gratuitous; we have no claim over any of the beautiful things we experience.

These thoughts were prompted by my reading of an excellent article by Joe Heschmeyer, a DC lawyer turned Kansas City seminarian. If the concept of beauty is an interest for you as it is for me, then I highly recommend that you give this piece a look.

In the article, Heschmeyer proposes that these two “problems” (evil & beauty) are not equal. He concludes that the problem of beauty is a much stronger argument in favor of God’s existence than the problem of evil is an argument against His existence. To understand why he makes this claim, check out his article.

Centuries ago, St. Augustine also saw the argument from beauty as a viable proof for God’s existence. In the inimitable Book X of his Confessions, he writes:

I asked the Earth, and it said, “I am not He!” I asked the sea and the deeps, and among living animals the things that creep, and they answered, “We are not your God! Seek higher than us!” . . . I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars: “We are not the God Whom you seek,” they said. To all the things that stand around the doors of my flesh I said, “Tell me of my God!” . . . With a mighty voice, they cried out, “He made us!” My question was the gaze that I turned on them; their answer was their beauty. (The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book X, Chapter VI)

Beauty is, indeed, evidence of a loving, generous, and joyful God.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Older priests, therefore, should receive younger priests as true brothers and help them in their first undertakings and priestly duties. The older ones should likewise endeavor to understand the mentality of younger priests, even though it be different from their own, and follow their projects with good will.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (7 dec 1965)

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