McGrath Institute Blog

Communication is essential to human life. Throughout our lives, we have come up with many ways to get our ideas across. One particularly powerful way human beings communicate is through art. Beauty speaks to all people, across all times and places. This makes it rich source material for catechesis. Thanks to the Church’s rich artistic history, ministers in faith formation can present teachings people often overlook in powerful ways. Here are some principles to help you consider how to incorporate art into your ministry.

Take a moment to visualize the Nativity scene that was in your home as a child. Try to see it through your childhood eyes once again. What do you see? Do you remember that sense of wonder as you look at that familiar figurine of baby Jesus in the manger?

Hard as it is to imagine, the season of Advent and the new liturgical year is just days away. As we are reminded each year, Advent is a season when Christians throughout the world rededicate themselves to waiting in hope. We anticipate the coming of Christ, the light of the world, who scatters the darkness of sin and shatters the bonds of death. We prepare to celebrate Christ’s coming in history at Christmas; we ponder the ways that he comes to us in mystery even now, especially in the Eucharist; and we look forward to his coming in glory at the end of time.

We asked author and international Catholic speaker Katie Prejean McGrady to tell us a little bit about her upcoming online series from Ave Maria Press called Ave Explores: Art and Architecture. Her descriptions paint a picture of a program offering a rich and enriching experience of one of Christianity’s greatest traditions—its artistic heritage.