Sacred Art, a Spiritual Weapon
Why Does The Devil Hate Sacred Art?
The Devil hates Sacred Art because the holy images are representations of the Most Holy Trinity, Christ, the Mother of God, Saints, historical parts of Scripture, and the striking manner in which Jesus Christ or His faithful servants have suffered for the Faith.
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Our Divine Savior is usually represented on the Cross, or sitting with His disciples at the Last Supper.
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The Blessed Virgin Mary is usually represented as holding the Holy Infant Jesus in her arms, crushing the serpent's head under her heel, or a sword piercing her Immaculate Heart.
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​The Saints are often seen with circles of light around their heads, as well as imagery showing the virtues practiced by the Saint or the manner in which they suffered martyrdom.
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If then, we kneel down and pray before the image of Jesus, His Mother, or His Saints, we do this because these pious objects enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires in our hearts by reminding us and encouraging us to imitate their virtues and good works.
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Those who truly love our Lord Jesus Christ, loves everything that refers to Him and reminds them of Him. Hence, you will love His Cross and all Sacred Art. St. Teresa says, "It is a great consolation to see the pictures of our amiable Savior. I wish our eyes could always be fixed upon Him." Indeed, can there be anything more attractive and interesting for a Christian than to gaze on the image of Him Who has loved us with an infinite love?
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These pieces of Sacred Art are then in the first place, like so many books which are suited to those who cannot read; for from holy images can be learned the history of religion and the principle Mysteries of Faith. "Sacred pictures are books for the unlearned, says St. Gregory the Great.
We place them in the Churches, that those who cannot read may
behold on the walls that which they cannot learn from books."
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In the second place, they excite in us pious affections and desires toward Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the Saints. Consider the pieces of Sacred Art representing the acts of virtues practiced by the Saints like St. Peter bitterly weeping for having denied Christ, St. Stephen falling on his knees and praying for his executioners to be pardoned as he was about to be stoned to death, and so many other Saints who were martyred for the Faith.
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In the third place, Sacred Art encourages us to imitate the virtues and good works of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the Saints, for viewing them produce wonderful effects of grace, excite a person to practice virtue, and to do everything in their power to imitate these great models of sanctity.
We will reflect on the great love and kindness of Jesus Christ towards us, on His goodness and patience, His charity and humility. We will also reflect on the virtues of the Saints, their purity, zeal, and submission to the Will of God under all trials and sufferings.
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St. Teresa tells us that her resolution to lead a holy life was
owing to the sight of an image of Jesus suffering on the Cross:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
"One day on entering my oratory, I saw an image representing Jesus covered with wounds. It was so touching, it reminded me, in so lively a manner, of all that Jesus had suffered for us, that I was entirely overwhelmed by the sight. On beholding those wounds which my sins had greatly enlarged, I was seized with a death-like suffering. My heart seemed to break. I knelt down at the feet of my Jesus, and with many tears, entreated Him to give me the grace never to offend Him again. From that moment, I have always felt a great love for pious pictures. Alas! how many unhappy are not those heretics who regard them as objects of horror, and who, through their own fault, are deprived of a great means of instruction and edification. Undoubtedly, they do not love Jesus Christ. If they loved Him, they could not help taking pleasure in contemplating His features. Do not those who love one another, in this world, take pleasure in gazing on the portrait of the beloved one?"
God revealed to St. Gertrude, that a person will reflect upon the Divine Mercy of Jesus as they look devoutly at an image of Jesus Christ crucified.
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The Holy Catholic Church solemnly declared in the General Council of Trent:
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"The images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other Saints, are to be acquired and retained, especially in Churches, and that due honor and veneration are to be given them; not in such a manner, however, as if any divinity or virtue were in them, or as if anything were to be asked of them, or as if any trust were to be placed in them, as was of old done by the heathens, who placed their hope in idols or objects; no, the honor shown to images refers to those who are represented by them -- that is, Jesus Christ, or His Saints. So that, if we kiss an image, or uncover the head, or prostrate ourselves before it, we adore Christ by this outward act of respect, or venerate the Saint whom it represents."
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This doctrine of the veneration of Sacred Art has always been taught by the Holy Catholic Church. However, in the 8th Century, certain heretics arose, called the Iconoclasts or "Breakers of Images", who rejected the reverence due to the Cross and Sacred Art. They broke them into pieces and trampled them under foot just as Our Lord Jesus Christ was broken and trampled on the Way to Calvary.
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A voice, however, from Syria, St. John Damascene proved the lawfulness of venerating images, by Sacred Scripture, Catholic Tradition, and sound, logical arguments. "A picture," said St. John, "is to the ignorant what a book is to the learned. A picture is to the sight, what a word is to the hearing. Sacred Art are memorials of the Divine Works. Besides, the decision in such matters falls not within the province of princes, but of the Church. It was not to kings that Jesus Christ gave power to bind and to loose; it was to the Apostles and their lawful successors, the Bishops and Doctors of the Church. Let these rash innovators recall the words of the Apostle St. Paul, 'Should an angel come down from heaven and preach to you another Gospel than that which you have received...We will not finish the text, but leave them time for repentance. But if--what God forbid through St. Paul, the Iconoclasts obstinately cling to their error, we may then finish the text...let them be anathema.'"
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The Iconoclast heresy was condemned and the heretics who contributed to the breaking of an uncalculatable number of Sacred Art, Crosses, Statues, and Relics were excommunicated by the Church in the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD.
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Among those who, at the time, were famous for defending the veneration of Sacred Art to the point of suffering martyrdom was St. Stephen, Abbot of Auxentium. In the presence of the Emperor Copronymus, who was an Iconoclast, St. Stephen brought out a coin,
on which was stamped the image of the Emperor and his son.
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St. Stephen said, "Now, if I spit on this image and trample it under the foot, shall I be punished?"
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The Emperor said, "Certainly, such an act would be a flagrant insult to my majesty and would be a crime punished by death."
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With a burst of indignation, St. Stephen cried, "you put to death him who insults the image of the emperor, and yet you yourselves insult and trample on the image of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings! Do you suppose, that God will not punish those who insult Him and His images?"​​​
What is Sacred Art?
"Sacred Art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation:
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evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God, the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and
love visible in Christ...
This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints.
Genuine Sacred Art draws man to adoration, prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Savior,
the Holy One and Sanctifier."​
Catechism of the Catholic Church Section 2502
Why Sacred Art?
"Art is able to manifest and make visible
the human need to surpass the visible.
It expresses the thirst and the quest for the infinite."
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Pope Benedict XVI
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"Souls ennobled, elevated and prepared by art,
are thus better disposed to receive the religious truths and the grace of Jesus Christ. This is one of the reasons why the Sovereign Pontiffs and the Church in general, honored and continue to honor art by offering its works as a tribute to God's Majesty in His Churches,
which have always been abodes of art
and religion at the same time."​​
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Pope Pius XII
Sacred Art Evangelization
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving
over the face of the waters.
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And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day,
and the darkness he called Night.​
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Genesis 1:1-5
Missionaries teaching the Faith through Sacred Art in the year 1910.
This piece of Sacred Art was used in the Missionary Photo to teach the Faith in 1910.