Transcendentals Daily: 3 Powerful Ways to Live Them
Written by catholicradioblog on August 6, 2025
Before the birth of Christ, philosophers like Plato and Aristotle discussed things beyond the physical world which explained reality and existence. They focused on three values:
- The True
- The Good
- The Beautiful
Doctors of the Catholic Church Recognize God in the Transcendentals
These “transcendentals” were not just the subject of philosophy, but also theology. Catholic thinkers like St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas are Doctors of the Church, meaning that both believed:
- God is the Standard and Source of all that is True, Good, and Beautiful. Everything is an outpouring from God.
- When searching for and recognizing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in one’s reality and the world, the fulfillment of such a search is found ultimately in God and nothing else.
Where There is One, There are Three
In considering the Holy Trinity, one Person cannot be separated from the others. Where the Father is present, so is the Son and Holy Spirit, and so on.
In considering the three Transcendentals, one cannot be separated from the other, either. Like the indissolubility of the Holy Trinity, where there is Truth, there is Goodness and Beauty, and so forth.
If the Transcendentals seem confusing, keep in mind that:
- The True corresponds to the intellect. Reason is the path to Truth.
- The Good corresponds to love. Living a moral life compelled with Love is the path to Goodness.
- The Beautiful corresponds to imagination. Creativity is the path to Beauty.
Ways to Incorporate the 3 Transcendentals into Your Catholic Life
1. Truth
Think about what it means to seek God’s Will for your life and live according to His Revelation.
- Do you need to study the Catholic Church’s teachings to better understand how they developed to guard the sacred deposit of Faith? If so, consider studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- When we pray, we talk to God. When we read Sacred Scripture, God speaks to us. Do you need to purchase a Catholic Bible so you can form a weekly or daily habit of studying God’s Word?
- Seeking God’s Will includes forming your conscience. It also means trying to live a life congruent with the teachings of Jesus Christ that have been passed down through the Catholic Church.
2. Goodness
Reflect on whether or not you have been living a moral and virtuous life. The epitome of this is the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) to love God and neighbor.
- How does one live a virtuous life? By learning about and living the cardinal virtues (Fortitude, Justice, Prudence, Temperance) and the theological virtues (Faith, Hope, Charity).
- Don’t forget to take advantage of the gift of the Sacraments. They make manifest the presence of God in our lives through healing and grace.
- Look at each person you encounter throughout your day with the eyes of Jesus: recognize that every person has dignity.
In this way you can observe people and situations and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to serve and show the love of Christ to those you encounter.
3. Beauty
Do you appreciate beauty around you and recognize that all beauty reflects God?
- Remember the Garden of Eden and the animals were made for Adam and Eve. Do you recognize the beauty of nature as a reflection of God’s creativity?
- Look for ways to have an encounter with sacred art, sacred music, and even architecture. Compare sacred beauty with other experiences you have in today’s society, where often God is not glorified. Look for God to elevate your appreciation for that which is beautiful.
- Reflect on your own gifts and talents that God placed in you. You are good because you are a reflection of the Creator. How can you create, point to, or share beauty with others?
- Recall passages in Scripture that emphasize beauty and its unfading nature. This includes what is inside you. Practice cultivating an empathetic, gentle, and quiet spirit.
For further reflection:
- Watch this short video, The True, the Good and the Beautiful: A Lesson in Human Flourishing, with Fr. Mike Schmitz by Ascension Presents.
- See how the True, the Good, and the Beautiful relate to education by the Cardinal Newman Society.
- Look for To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age, by Bishop Robert Barron. This book focuses on evangelization today through the lens of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.
Catholic Radio Transmits Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Catholic Radio is all about evangelization. Programs reflect the Transcendentals. You can listen online to one of our five livestreams, find your local station, or download our free app for Apple and Android.
