About

Greetings! Thank you for visiting my blog.

My name is Maria Andress. I am originally from the Midwest of the United States and am currently pursuing acting, producing and cinematography in California.

The idea for this page – UnveiledClarity – came as I was searching for my own discoveries of the world today and who I want to be in it. Regardless of where I am in life or in what capacity I am searching whether it be as a woman, a filmmaker, a student, a friend, a professional, a singer, an artist, a writer, a warrior training for battle, etc. It could be all of those facets together.

I realize that God speaks to us first in our interactions with the world. Through that He draws us to Himself and then into the clarity of revelation. I think we forget quite often that He works through the natural beauty of the world and the human race and think that He can only be found through theology. In reality the discovery of truth is interwoven between sciences and theology.

Philosopher and saint Edith Stein wrote in her book Knowledge and Faith:

“We were attempting to show that in all genuine knowledge of God it is God himself who draws near the knower, although his presence may not always be felt as it is in experiential knowledge. In natural knowledge he draws near in images, works, and manifold effects; in faith by making himself known personally through the Word. But in the case of any knowledge of persons, rather than disclosing oneself, one may close oneself – even withdraw behind one’s own  work. In this case the work still means something, retains an objective significance, but it no longer opens up access to the person, it no longer provides the contact of one mind with the other.

God wishes to let himself be found by those who seek him. Hence he wishes first to be sought. So we can see why natural revelation is not absolutely clear and unambiguous, but is rather an incentive to seek. Supernatural  revelation answers the questions raised by natural revelations. Faith is already a finding and corresponds to God letting -himself-be-found, not only in the sense that he has something said about himself through his work but that through his word he himself has himself found.

Faith is a gift that must be accepted. In faith divine and human freedom meet. But it is a faith that bids us ask for more. As dark and lacking the evidence of insight,  faith awakens a yearning for unveiled clarity; as mediated encounter it awakens a longing for an immediate encounter with God. Indeed the very content of faith awakens desire by promising the beatific vision.”

I want unveiled clarity in my life. How do I find it? How do I concretely find and apply Truth? Is this search worth fighting for? Is this journey worth taking a convincing stand? I enjoy looking at the case for Truth from the viewpoint of Blaise Pascal’s Wager:

“You have two things to lose: the true and the good; and two things to stake: your reason and your will, your knowledge and your happiness; and your nature has two things to avoid: error and wretchedness. Since you must necessarily choose, your reason is no more affronted by choosing one rather than the other. That is one point cleared up. But your happiness? Let us weigh up the gain and the loss involved in calling heads that God exists. Let us assess the two cases: if you win, you win everything: if you lose, you lose nothing. Do not hesitate then: wager that he does exist.”

My purpose for this blog is to share articles, q
uotes, artwork, and blurbs that inspire my explorations or that inform who I am and my world view.

My goal is to offer something clarifying and beautiful that can inspire some part of you in your own quests and battles.

Thank you for following along!