Main Function of Institute, the big day of the brotherhood in which it honors its titular. On the main altar of the church a structure of imposing beauty had been erected, crowned by the image of the titular Virgin of the brotherhood dressed in her best clothes. A cascade of candles, perfectly arranged, all lit, was pouring down from the Virgin, bridging the gap with her children.
The search for Beauty
The solemn Mass was about to begin. The procession left the sacristy. The procession was preceded by two "servers" in livery. Behind them the parish cross approached the altar leading a procession of acolytes, with superb dalmatics, each one with its specific function: candlesticks, censer, navetas, accompanying the cardinal celebrant and concelebrating priests. The organ, from the 18th century, solemnized the progress of the procession through the central nave. Upon reaching the altar, each acolyte went to his place in a silent and precise choreography.
Such an opening preluded something even more solemn: as the celebrant began the Kyrie, the orchestra, choir and soloists at the back of the nave intoned Mozart's Coronation Mass.
If, as a 19th century writer explained, people are chalices of acceptance of beauty, here they overflowed, updating Stendhal's emotion in the face of authentic beauty, which is not only aesthetic pleasure.
There is a beauty that refers to things in themselves, independently of the relationship with the subject that knows them, which is fleeting and superficial, produces aesthetic joy, but does not touch the most intimate part of our heart. We are not referring to that one. The authentic beauty of something, of someone, capable of arousing emotion and true joy in the hearts of men, is manifested when that something or someone merges with their true being, thus manifesting the Truth. This perfect union is the Good, which manifests itself as Beauty. That is why God, in his perfect harmony with Charity - God is love - is the Truth, and inÉlserecognizes the Good. This is the source of the authentic Beautycapable of arousing trembling in the hearts of men: "Late I loved you, beauty so old and so new, late I loved you!"lamented St. Augustine.
In the case of the Virgin (tota pulchra es Maria), her beauty does not lie in her human figure, although it certainly does. The beauty of the Virgin is the beauty of sanctifying grace, of her adequacy to God's will (fiat!). The beauty of the creature lies there where God is pleased, in the very center of its being. A beauty that flows from God, who is truth and good par excellence.
D. in Business Administration. Director of the Instituto de Investigación Aplicada a la Pyme. Eldest Brother (2017-2020) of the Brotherhood of the Soledad de San Lorenzo, in Seville. He has published several books, monographs and articles on brotherhoods.
