Even if existence is beautiful not all is beautiful. We have in the world both the beautiful and the homely. At the beginning of spring, it's not out of place to consider what is beautiful and what is unattractive. So begins an article in the Catholic Times by a seminary rector.
Little can compare with the beauty of nature. Marvelous is the beauty when a bud appears from the recently thawed earth. Life is always beautiful. Development that randomly destroys this beauty is not. Those who cut a branch from a flowering plant to place in their knapsack to show to others does not appreciate the beauty of the flower.
From where does the beauty of nature come? Not difficult to answer for it comes from its very being. We like to compare one person with another but all persons are beautiful for beauty comes not from the face or body but from the person's being.
We want to be beautiful, consequently the need to be concerned for interior beauty rather the external beauty and to adorn our lives with beauty. The manner in which we live determines the beauty or unattractiveness of our lives.
We are all different which adds to the beauty. Youth and love he considers of great beauty. Personally, youth without the advantages of wealth who don't envy those with wealth have great beauty and wants to praise them. Beauty is there with those who dream, without dreams we have desolation, loneliness, and unattractiveness.
There is both beauty and ugliness in meeting and departure. As one poet said: how beautiful is the back of the one who knows the time of leave-taking. However, the one who finds the leave-taking difficult when the time demands it is not attractive.
When we have an exchange of ideas and a meeting of minds, this is a beautiful result of an encounter. Shouting and attempting to force one's opinion on others is ugly: no matter how attractive, when forced, beauty is lost. No matter how small the issue when we work towards conciliation we are practicing virtue.
He concludes the articles with the situation in Korea where you have street demonstrations with Korean and American flags appearing, opposing the impeachment of the president. It seems that the Korean flag is not enough so they add the American flag. This leaves the writer with a bitter taste. Too much is as bad as too little and as unattractive. He's sad to see people of faith in these demonstrations. When we try to force our personal beliefs on others no matter how lofty and beautiful the belief, this comes across as ugly to many. We need prudence.
