Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know, A Father's Day Present, Turns Into a Book Review

My daughter gifted me the book Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know, as a Father's Day Present, just as Father Mark-Mary in his Podcast Rosary in a Year uses  Visio Divina to meditate as we pray the Holy Rosary.  Father Mark-Mary describes the sacred art, the author then applies it to a particular, mystery in the Rosary: A sort of guided sacred art appreciation and a guided spiritual journey.

I found Father Mark-Mary's use of sacred art in Day 180 particularly powerful and effective. You have heard it say 'We all have our own learning styles.' Research does not support  learning styles as a rigid framework. But its important to acknowledge that individuals have different strengths and preferences when it comes to learning. Some people may naturally gravitate towards certain methods of learning, like visual aids or auditory explanations, or a combination thereof.

Sacred Art Discussed by Father Mark-Mary up to Day 180

This explains why the Church encourages praying using lectio divina and or visio divina and some of us like it that way: Some individuals find it difficult to understand the Bible for a number of reasons, including its complex language, diverse cultural contexts, and the need for spiritual discernment. 

While the Catholic Church does not consider art to be "sacred and canonical" in the same way it considers Sacred Scripture to be sacred and canonical, the Church recognizes the importance of sacred art in expressing faith and promoting worship. Each sacred art piece can be viewed as a homily.


Saint John Paul II inLetter to Artists writes;

"To all who are passionately dedicated

to the search for new “epiphanies” of beauty so that through their creative work as artists they may offer these as gifts to the world.

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good

Through his “artistic creativity” man appears more than ever “in the image of God”, and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous “material” of his own humanity and then exercising creative dominion over the universe which surrounds him. With loving regard, the divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power." (Letter to Artists

Why I have humbly suggest Pope Leo calls a Council, a-la  Council of Trent, the first ecumenical council to definitively list the 73 books of the Catholic Bible as "sacred and canonical," to identify sacred art.

Book Review Section

Catholic art is a vast and rich tapestry of visual expression, encompassing a wide range of styles and periods, all united by a shared faith and a desire to glorify God and convey religious truths. From ancient icons to contemporary installations, it has played a significant role in shaping the spiritual landscape of the Catholic Church and influencing Western art history

The title Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know, threw me off. Just like when a couple of years ago, our daughter suggested i listen to Father Mike Schmitz's Cathechism in Year (CIY) Podcast. My reaction was along the lines of "for you know who I am." The CIY Podcast is invaluable, just like Father Mike Schmitz's Bible in a. Year Podcast and ultimately Father Mark-Mary's Rosary in a Year; All have been home runs.

My objection to the title of the book was that I should have known not only about the listed artwork, but also about the artists and their respective homilies.

I expected the book to include a criteria as to why all Catholics should know this particular collection.  In some instances, the author includes two different artists using different styles, the same subject, without an explanation.

Half of the book contains description of the sacred art and the artists' homilies.  The author  uses similar adjectives.  Perhaps due to space, the author was not able to go into much detail as to style, period and so on. The write ups are a reprint of the author's  essays published elsewhere.

The last part of the book includes the art pieces and artists when known.  I found that I missed the author's description of the art, as well as the intended homily.

The art pieces contained in the book seem to be the ones the author is familiar with, as the author does not describe the criteria used to select the pieces.

Conclusion

I do recommend the book. But not just for Catholics, but also for non-Catholics. Just like praying the rosary is not exclusively for Catholics. While the rosary is most commonly associated with the Catholic Church, it is a form of prayer that can be adopted by anyone who finds value in its meditative and devotional aspects.

Google Book's Description

Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know is a unique invitation to discover a selection of the world's most renowned artistic masterpieces. From this vast treasury of sacred art, such pieces include:

• Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
• Michelangelo's Pièta and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
• Rublev's The Trinity
• Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece
• Fra Angelico's Annunciation
• Raphael's The Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament
• Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
• Caravaggio's The Calling of Saint Matthew
• El Greco's Pentecost

Sacred Art Every Catholic Should Know is a unique invitation to discover a selection of the world's most renowned artistic masterpieces. From this vast treasury of sacred art, such pieces include:

• Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper
• Michelangelo's Pièta and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
• Rublev's The Trinity
• Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece
• Fra Angelico's Annunciation
• Raphael's The Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament
• Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
• Caravaggio's The Calling of Saint Matthew
• El Greco's Pentecost

Join in a unique, personal guided tour through these and other artistic masterpieces that evoke the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic faith.

About the author (2023)

Professor Jem Sullivan holds a Doctorate from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. For over a decade, she has taught graduate level courses as adjunct professor in the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C. She has taught a course on Christian Art and catechesis and evangelization and writes for a variety of publications on art, including the Catholic liturgical resource Magnificat. She is the author of two books from Our Sunday Visitor, A Study Guide to the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, and The Beauty of Faith: Christian Art and the Gospel. She has served as a volunteer docent at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. leading visitors through the museum's masterpiece collections.