Look To Beauty

“God passes through the thicket of the world, and wherever His glance falls, He turns all things to beauty.” – St. John of the Cross

Recently, the feast of St. Maria Goretti passed and it always strikes me. I watched a video on social media, and her family was shown at the Vatican attending the canonization. Her mother too! I used to coach soccer, and I watch the World Cup. It is interesting but the fans surprise me sometimes. The emotional highs and lows are quite strange. The passion is great, but we need to put things into perspective and only Christ can do that. When I listened to the video about St. Maria Goretti, the presenter stated that she defended her virtue at 11 when older people might not be so brave. Pope Pius XII said that she was a model for young Catholics. When the sad event of the traditionalists separated themselves from the Church of Rome, it made me sad. We are all free and we can all make choices. However, that freedom only comes from Christ. That is true freedom. We need to make choices in our relationship with God.

“Perfect love means putting up with other people’s shortcomings, feeling no surprise at their weaknesses, finding encouragement even in the slightest evidence of good qualities in them.” – St. Thérèse of Lisieux

The saints provide example after example. I just ordered some books to read for the summer. My Story by Marcos Pou was one of the books I bought. He was from the movement, Communion and Liberation. It was suggested to him by a priest to write an autobiography and he did. He said that it was strange to write his story since “the only thing that saves it from being dull and flat – is what Christ has done in my life.” What has Christ done in our lives? Are we even looking? Likely not since it is a difficult thing to do. We cannot stop living and being aware. This is what Pier Giorgio Frassati accomplished. He died young and he gave so much of his life to others. But he was an amazing person. He contracted the disease in which he helped others survive. He spent his fortune on the needy and when he died, so many people were at his funeral, even his family was shocked that they came.

“We are pilgrims and strangers on earth. Pilgrims sleep in tents and sometimes cross deserts, but the thought of their homeland makes them forget everything else.” – St. Charles de Foucauld

What do we do each morning? With all this social media, do we get up listening to podcasts and frivolity or do we recognize our day with gratitude? It is a huge lifestyle change. Similarly, when people diet or exercise, it is not simply going to the gym but it is a lifestyle change. The Carmelite nuns told me a story of a priest who found out his mother met some friends for yoga daily at an early morning hour. He asked the time and he scheduled a morning mass at that time and then the group came to mass. What we do each day is important. We cannot live without an awareness, otherwise, it is all a waste of time.

“Life is to live in such a way that we are not afraid to die.” – St. Teresa of Avila

“He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things.” – St. Alphonsus Liguori