Praying with Sacred Art: Pondering the Mystery of Redemption through Visio Divina

One of the most powerful ways of encountering God is through our senses, especially through our perception of beauty. The good, the true, and the beautiful are inseparable, and beauty, rightly considered, always leads to the Creator.

In this rich journey through sacred art, author Derek Rotty accompanies readers through the mysteries of salvation history, highlighting some of the Church’s most moving and celebrated works of visual art. He embraces the concept of visio divina, in which contemplation of sacred art becomes a prayer in much the same way as lectio divina makes a prayer out of Scripture reading.

The Church has always known that images possess the power to communicate truths in a special way. She speaks of sacred art as “a freely given superabundance of the human being’s inner riches.” Thus, the God-given talents of the artist, from ancient iconographers to Caravaggio and beyond, are gifts for the whole Church to bring the faithful closer to the divine.

Rotty reflects on powerful pieces of art and contextualizes them both in Church history and in the practice of visio divina. He explains:

The classical definition of beauty and why transcendence matters in sacred art How sacred art aids contemplative prayer The importance of beauty within the walls of the church How artists use symbology to communicate eternal truths
In the book, Rotty dissects specific pieces of art, such as the Isenheim Altarpiece and Raphael’s Transfiguration, to aid readers in contemplation of the life of Christ and the divine mysteries. He also includes reflection questions to allow readers to begin their own practice of visio divina.

Praying with Sacred Art takes readers on a sweeping pilgrimage through the movements of the liturgical year, equipping the faithful to “read” great pieces of sacred art and go deeper in their encounter with Our Lord.