The Transcendentals
The Characters of Man
"Wherever men and women discover a call to the absolute and transcendent, the metaphysical dimension of reality opens up before them: in truth, in beauty, in moral values, in other persons, in being itself, in God."- John Paul the Second, Fides et Ratio
Truth & Goodness
The Transcendentals are a specific way to describe the natures of man. Because we are made in the image and likeness of God we too mirror his truth, goodness and beauty. You could say that the transcendentals are the ultimate desires of man. Truth enlightens man's intelligence and shapes his freedom, leading him to know and love the Lord (Veritatis Splendor). When we think of goodness we think of striving for the good, which freedom allows us to do. But goodness is truly an excellence of character, therefore a rejection against truth is a rejection against our goodness. In the words of JPll, goodness is "acting ethically, according to a free and rightly tuned will, the human person sets foot upon the path to happiness and moves towards perfection."
Beauty
It is easy to become consumed by the ‘standards’ of beauty the world has set. We are all guilty, even if in the simplest ways. One sentence in particular completely changed the way I use the word ‘beautiful’. During my senior year of high school, I was taught that the transcendental definition of beauty is one that inspires awe. I had to take a step back and wonder... When was the last time I was truly in awe of something? I sat with this definition of beauty for months but it was not until sitting twelve thousand feet in the air that I began to grasp this definition.
I had the opportunity to hike the Colorado Rocky Mountains with my entire senior class a little over a year ago. I am going to be honest with you, it is very difficult to find goodness and beauty in those around you when you are shivering cold and sick to your stomach from altitude sickness, but somehow the Lord found a place. During our second hike instead of all hiking down from Twin Lakes together, each of us were given a stack of letters and told to read them on the side of the mountain. As I read the wise, loving and honest words of those who love me so dearly I could not help but sob. I then looked out to the picture God had painted for me on that mountainside. The way each snowflake fell so perfectly in each groove of the mountain parallel to me. The sound of the bustling stream catching all the melted snow elegantly falling from the mountain side. The way the sun mixed with the piercing cool air. I was in awe. The Lord had turned my sentimental sobbing into weeping for his beauty. Since then I view beauty as an invitation from the Lord to humble myself and stand in awe of Him.
How do we pursue the Transcendentals?
It can be a daunting task pursuing the transcendentals. I think beauty is the simplest to recognize. Look up and around you right now. What do you see? Do you see a home you created with your spouse? Or is it your coworkers office? It could be the Blessed Sacrament you lay your eyes on. Wherever you are, take a closer look. Allow the Lord to inspire awe in you today. Just start there. Once you start to notice the beautiful, you will be more attuned to recognize God’s truth. Embrace the truth you encounter in the readings on Sunday at Mass or the truth you hear ringing from your child's mouth. This knowledge of the truth will invite you to step into a space of goodness. Your senses will continue guiding you to recognize the spaces the Lord is in. He is in the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. He is in You!
