On Beauty

Cities and countries throughout the world house treasures of art that express the faith and call us to a relationship with God. Therefore, may our visits to places of art be not only an occasion for cultural enrichment--also this--but may they become, above all, a moment of grace that moves us to strengthen our bond and our conversation with the Lord, [that moves us] to stop and contemplate--in passing from the simple external reality to the deeper reality expressed--the ray of beauty that strikes us, that 'wounds' us in the intimate recesses of our heart and invites us to ascend to God.

--Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, Castel Gandolfo, Aug. 31, 2011

Speaking of beauty: this, and this.