Thoughts on Beauty

I just found this, somehow still saved as a draft, though I wrote it back in January of last year. I know we are now in Spring, but I wanted to publish it because I think it's a meaningful reflection for any time!

My little brother and I ran an errand tonight...in a perfect wonderland. Snow, falling thickly yet gently, is blanketing the world. Such a sight never ceases to move me to joyous wonder.

Pausing to watch the millions of glittering flakes waft under street lights, I couldn't help but exclaim to David, "Oh, it's marvelously beautiful!".

He's 11, but has already heard enough drivers talking to know what comes along with this beauty. "Yes, but it's dangerous," he piped from the back seat.

And a response came to me, immediately and reflectively. "But all beauty comes with some danger, David."

...Particularly the beauty of femininity. One of the many quotes which struck me deeply from Dr. Alice von Hildebrand's The Privilege of Being a Woman was this:

“The power that women can wield over men is great indeed. If they pursue their own selfish aims, women are Satan’s slaves. If they put their charm at God’s service, they are God’s great allies.” (emphasis hers)

It is precisely because of the value, the power of beauty that it comes with danger. In my interactions with girls and ladies young and old, the bestowing of beauty as a gift on our sex is more and more apparent to me. But the world works it hardest to train us to misuse and abuse this gift. We are told to be beautiful for our own happiness, our own success, our own fullfillment, our own benefit. And yet, Dr. von Hildebrand warns us quite clearly about such selfishness and misuse of power.

The beauty itself is not the problem. Just as the snow itself is not the problem! The danger comes with our response. If I throw caution to the wind and drive without care on slippery roads, sure danger awaits — for me and for others. If I throw prudence to the wind and aspire for beauty without care for its essence, its Source and Giver, sure danger awaits — for me and for others.

Indeed, beauty it is both a gift and a calling from the Creater to His daughters. We are called to manifest to the world a glimpse of His perfect, radiant beauty. The physical should be only a mirror of the interior, timelessly captivating beauty of a pure, servant heart.

Let us be ever-mindful of this marvelous gift and high calling, and careful of the danger that comes with it!

Election Countdown/40 Days for Life: Day 15

A bit on the lighter side, here's a campaigning strategy that gave me a smile. I wouldn't mind have a few of those in my yard! :)

Today's Life Devotionals can be found here.

Simple Joy

is taking a walk home from Mass with your ten-year-old brother on a breezy Spring morning and laughing together at all kinds of wonderful discoveries.

At a squirrel that didn't realize we were near him (and nor did we, for that matter) until we were right next to his little tree, and then bolted for dear life across the sidewalk...about two feet in front of us.

At tulips with pointed petals.

At what David says he was "99.9 percent sure" were springs of poison ivy growing along the sidewalk. "Add about a million nines after that point," he said. I believe him, too — that boy has a positive knack for spotting and correctly identifying poison ivy.

At random patches of perfect violets, especially the variegated ones that are white along the edges but the loveliest pale purple in the middle. We both exclaimed at those... and tried to capture them with the cell phone camera.

At the charmingest house (I know, that's probably not a word, but it should be). Don't ask me why I've never noticed it before. It looks like it could be right out of a book, or a movie. Ivy clung to the antique yellow stone walls, complete with arches and such. The fact that it was somewhat set higher than the road added to its allure. Even the yard was unusual, with a little brick walkway along the house and things growing here and there. We felt like were looking at a kind of cross between a Victorian cottage, English Tudor, and miniature castle!

At little white blossoms growing directly from the fat limb of a tree!

At a literal blanket of petals in one yard — the work of the big, beautiful magnolia succumbing to the tugging breeze.

...At the gentle beauty of spring, bursting forth in all its splendor.

Spring...almost!

Today is actually beginning to feel like Spring! It's almost 60 degrees, the blue sky is cheery and bright, and sun's rays are actually... warm. :) So wonderful! I pulled out a new minty-green linen skirt that I've been waiting to wear until it was warm enough!

One of the reasons for the light blogging of late is the performance explained here. In fact, I'm on my way out the door to a rehearsal now. More later...

I will admit...

...though I've been saying I'm ready for Spring, the fresh white blanket we got yesterday is pretty!

"Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, I will make them white as snow."

(Isaiah 1:18)

I suppose I should title this "Time Marches On"

Wow! So much has happened in the past two weeks. A highlight was hosting six beautiful young women from NET Ministries at our home for two nights the last few days of October. I was thrilled to be able to have their team at St. Joseph's leading a retreat for 85 youth on October 30, and we savored every moment of our time with them. I marveled at how instantly we girls (meaning my sisters and I) were able to connect with these missionary sisters-in-Christ, and how much we were able to do for each other in such a short time. Here were six young women of varying backgrounds and all different parts of the US, and such kindred spirits that we felt like we knew them forever. And it was more than that. It was the penetrating beauty of the Church Militant, the Mystical Body of Christ. I love how the girls refer to those other girls on their team as their "sisterhood" (likewise, the five young men on the team were the "brotherhood"). We felt so blessed to be a part of that sisterhood for the time there were here. Deo Gratias.

And it had struck me that my periodic, unplanned (and rather undesired) "breaks" of stepping away from my corner here for a bit are somewhat needed to help me in the continual effort of finding balance and discipline in my daily life. Each day our Lord stretches me. Each day He challenges me. Each day He has work for me. Some days that includes this. Some days it does not. Sometimes, it's a little hard to realize when it's the latter. :)

"Lord, Grant Me... the Courage to Change"

Many of us would recognize those words from the "Serenity Prayer". Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

How I love that word: serenity. Dictionary.com defines it as "the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil; sereneness".

Serenity. Tranquility. Peace. Even the very words seem to caress gently, to give an aura of what they imply. This morning, my confessor spoke to me at length about "finding peace". After some of what I've been through and struggled with the past few weeks, his direction in that healing Sacrament was so perfect this morning. (The Holy Spirit is a Master at that, you know? I can't tell you how many times the advice given me in Confession is exactly the balm, or challenge, or admonition I needed at that moment.)

My penance was to meditate on the words Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. And oh, what a mediation those can be.

Lord ...Master, Teacher, Redeemer
make me ...transform, cleanse, create, purify me to become
an instrument ...one who gives forth beauty when placed in Your Hands
of Your peace ...to offer Your greatest gifts to the world.

Father pointed out beautifully the somewhat painful change all around us this season: trees letting go of their vibrant leaves, in order to go through a season of cold and healing in preparation for new and more fruitful growth. Immediately a quote sprang into my mind -- one posted on the sign outside a church a few blocks from our house --

When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of Autumn.

The Lord has been doing some pruning on me lately; He's showing me that I need to let go of some of my leaves to allow for new growth later. I may be reluctant to let them go, vibrant as they are. But if I trust enough, Spring, with all its glorious freshness and the burst of new life, will come.