WHERE HAS THE BEAUTY GONE? PART III: RESTORATION I

In this technological age, there are many works of man which are being highly elevated to the extent that their makers are called creators. But in its proper sense, 'creation' is only applicable to God as it stipulates the way in which everything has its origin, meaning and destiny in God. Now since man can only but produce something from something else, man is only a procreator and a maker but not a creator per se.

During my short study tour in Netherlands in June and July of 2022, I used to make lots of fun with the  Dutch people. Most Dutch men and women are very welcoming to visitors; they guide their visitors through most beautiful and historical sites within their vicinity, explain in detail every information about the site visited; if they cannot do this themselves, a city guide's service is sorted.  After visiting all the sites, it would be a surprise if a typical Dutch do not tell his or her visitors; "God created the world, but the Dutch created the Netherlands." This I used to refute telling them; "according to what I have seen, heard and understood, God created the world but you guys (Dutch) made the Netherlands". These would end in smiles and laughters.

You may wonder why I have introduced this part with a briefing on creation rather than tackling straight away restoration which forms the basis of this section. This puzzle should disappear when you realize that one cannot restore what was not in existence. For restoration is a process where one strive to align something to it's original state - restoration therefore presupposes the existence of a fault, lack, or defect in something which initially was good and perfect.

Posing questions; where has the beauty Gone? and; How can we restore it? also presupposes that there was a time when sublimity existed vividly in the Church which currently is slowly but seriously fading away, it also presupposes that there is someone, some things or people who was/were responsible for bringing about this beauty and there is also someone or some people who might have brought defects in this beauty which definitely mean someone or some people must step-up to restore this beauty.

Promoting the Holiness of Priests, Restructuring and empowering of Parishes specifically in Mission work, Promoting and ensuring active lay apostolate, Liturgical renewal, and Promotion of Theological, Philosophical and Socio-economic research especially in Major Seminaries.

We identified the above strategies as some of the ways in which the work of restoration can be started and applied in an effort to bring back the attractive force of the Catholic Church and make her a  more vivid and efficacious sacrament of salvation to the people of our time most of whom seems to have lost the taste and beauty of what it entails to be active Catholics.

But I confidently believe that, in our age, people still yearn for the beautiful, they desire more what entices them and what makes their hearts both consciously and unconsciously beat. If only we can get the rhythm that would let people's hearts beat for the Goodnews of salvation, if only we can find ways of even just whispering to the deepest hearts and needs of the people of our time rather than shouting only in their mind and intellect; then we would reclaim and bring back the beauty and sublimity in the Church the force of which would be too powerful for any to resist but be not only a participant but also the beneficiary of what this beauty fetches for the integral person (nourishment of the body and soul) and most importantly experiencing the beauty of heaven while still here on earth - how beautiful! 

We can do this confidently believing that the Creator - the One who originated, founded and entrusted this sublime treasure through His Son to us is actively present, supports, empower and would always make our efforts of drawing His people closer to Him fruitful. Restoration therefore is the work of the Creator Himself in us and using us with the inspiration and counsel of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit which spurred the birth of the Church, must be beseeched in the strivings at promoting the holiness of Priests and  all the other means identified above, (these will be meditated upon and its fruits shared) in view of restoring the vivid magnificence of the Church today for the Glory of God.