Linda Mae is the name my parents chose for me. To be honest, I am not a fan. One reason in particular, I am a generation younger than most of the women with whom I share this name. Who wants to be labeled 20 years older!? My name means “pretty” in Spanish. Unfortunately, that translation has not helped. If you called me pretty, I would quickly point out all of the reasons you are wrong: one eye is squinty, my nose is too big, my neck too long, I could lose 10 pounds, my hair is getting quite gray, etc. So imagine my joy when I read in the Book of Revelation (2:17) that we shall be given new names! St. John says, “I [God] shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name.” I received such a rock from a spiritual mentor with my new name. Beautiful. Sigh. How is this better? I could not claim this name, yet in the quiet of my soul, I knew this would be the name He would choose. Therefore, it has become my quest to understand and try to live in the identity granted with my name.
My first step in this journey was to find an appropriate definition of beauty. Since I disagreed with God about my new name, I knew my definition of beauty must be wrong. Merriam-Webster defines beauty as the quality of being physically attractive or the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind. Television commercials, magazine ads, and social media platforms have defined beauty in ways consistent with our physical attributes for decades. Yes, these ads may define what is physically attractive, but I was sure this was not how God defined beauty.
My next stop was my bookshelves: the Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a few other favorite books. In St. Peter’s letter, he states, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4) St. Peter tells us that our beauty is more about the state of our spirit – what we offer to those around us. I was getting warmer!
Dr. Peter Kreeft defines beauty as the Cross in his book Catholic Christianity. Whoa! This was startling because Jesus’ body, beaten and dying, nailed to a cross, is anything but beautiful. Kreeft goes on to clarify that the Cross is supremely beautiful because it is the supreme work of love, and love is the supreme beauty. God’s sacrifice for our salvation, done out of love for us, is beautiful.
Sacrificial love (willing the good of the other) is God’s definition of beautiful. We are beautiful when we love like Him and reflect His love to others. As the moon reflects the sun’s light, we are to be like Mary and reflect the light of the Son.
As I began to look for this beauty, I discovered it is everywhere! This beauty happens in life’s everyday moments like patiently tying your toddler’s shoes for the hundredth time today, gently helping your elderly parent in and out of the car for their doctor appointment, generously providing meals or money to care for the homeless, granting forgiveness instead of seeking revenge. The saints revealed this level of beauty because they loved like Jesus. St. Teresa of Calcutta comes to mind. I doubt she would be on the cover of a fashion magazine or described as beautiful. And yet, when I see her smile and the twinkle in her eyes, it is the first word that crosses my lips. Her beauty radiates from the depths of her soul, her God-given dignity, and her life-long commitment to the poorest of the poor. Her love was the source of her beauty, and God was the source of her love.
What obscures our beauty? Our age and perceived physical flaws do not diminish our beauty. Like the moon covered by clouds, our beauty is veiled when we fail to love as God calls us to love. Our beauty is clouded when we are greedy with our time, talent, and treasure, allow anger and hatred to be our leading emotions, or permit pride to blind us to the needs of other people. In short, our God-given beauty is concealed when we sin and don’t love as we should. Physical beauty can remain in the depths of sin, but our true beauty, which is the result of us reflecting the light and love of Christ, can become hidden.
How do we uncover our true beauty? Certainly not in spending hundreds of dollars on wrinkle cream! Instead, we let Him clear the clouds. We allow God to accomplish in us who He created us to be. Created in His likeness and image, created to love like Him. We need to spend time in prayer, letting God look at us and share where we can do better. Read His Sacred Word to provide direction on how to joyfully live a life of sacrificial love. We should bring our sin – our clouds – to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to allow Him to pour His grace into our flaws so we can begin again. When receiving Him in the Holy Eucharist we can humbly ask Jesus to help us strive for growth in the virtues of patience, generosity, forgiveness, and kindness.
Now, can you claim that you are beautiful? Like me, you might still be saying, “The clouds are pretty thick. I am not beautiful.” Take a moment and honestly look at your life; when in your day do you have these moments of reflecting God’s love, of being beautiful? Although we do not perfectly reflect Him and His love, we can and should claim our beauty. Because despite our age and physical characteristics, we have the capacity to let love be our beauty, and God be the source of our love. Are you willing to join me in the journey to live beautifully?