One of the things I enjoy is putting together what I hope will resemble holy cards. That is the goal, at least, and I would like to keep working toward it. I love finding an uplifting painting, combining it with a prayer or quote, and suddenly realizing that my heart is soaring.
Which is, according to the following, the point of art.
'The function of all art lies in fact in breaking through the narrow and torturous enclosure of the finite, in which man is immersed while living here below, and in providing a window on the infinite for his hungry soul.' (Pope Pius XII, Encyclical The Function of Art)
During this age when fewer parish churches are providing windows on the infinite, some of us may be hungry for the kind of art that breaks through our narrow little worlds. 'Souls ennobled, elevated and prepared by art,' continues Pope Pius XII, 'are thus better disposed to receive the religious truths and the grace of Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons why the Sovereign Pontiff, and the Church in general, honored and continues to honor art and to offer its works as a tribute of human beings to God's Majesty in His churches, which have always been abodes of art and religion at the same time. (Pope Pius XII)
For a deeper exploration of the function of art in sacred spaces, see Reclaim Beauty.
And for some real holy cards, click here to check out the treasures at Holy Card Heaven!
