Day 1 - ASH WEDNESDAY
God cannot fill what is full. He can only fill emptiness, deep poverty, and your "Yes" is the beginning of being or becoming empty. It is not how much we really "have" to give, but how empty we are, so that we can receive fully in our life and let Him live his life in us.
— Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Welcome to the True Beauty Challenge! I'm thrilled that you decided to take this Lenten journey. I pray that God showers you with grace. As His grace is poured out true transformation will begin to take place.
Today’s Reflection:
It is Ash Wednesday. As a child I remember hating this day. I lacked complete understanding for what it meant. All I knew was (1) I would have to go to church for a Mass that was even longer than usual because everyone in the church would have to go forward TWICE. (2) I'd be smeared with dirt and have to walk out of the church in total humiliation until I could get home and immediately run to the bathroom to wash it off. Unfortunately, it wasn't until college that I really began to understand the meaning of Ash Wednesday. To my surprise receiving ashes was not a meaningless ritual imposed on me by the Church. The Church in her great wisdom does have a reason for this ritual, and it is beautiful. Since Old Testament times, ashes have been a sign of repentance. Lent literally means "rebirth." We begin the season with an outward sign that we will die to ourselves and our worldly desires in order to embrace Christ and prepare for rebirth and resurrection at Easter.
Whether you are choosing two make up products to keep and packing away the rest or wearing no makeup at all doesn't really matter. What does matter is that we are making some kind of sacrifice this Lent. When we empty ourselves of something earthly, we make room for Jesus to fill us up with something heavenly. Lent is forty days in the desert. What is in the desert? Nothing! Simplicity is in the desert. Wide open space. We have been given an opportunity to make our lives more like the desert by embracing simplicity so that Jesus can fill that new wide open space in our hearts with truth and life. Jesus wants us to walk out into the desert with Him for these forty days so that we will experience "rebirth."
Our rebirth will be a renewal of our minds, hearts and souls in light of the truth about beauty. We have 40 days to become different women, better women, more beautiful women. Let's start off right. Let's enter Lent with JOY. Be excited to go into the desert with Christ. God has given us a great blessing through this liturgical season to journey with His Son and become more holy. So today, pack your makeup away with a smile on your face and PRAY that God will bless your sacrifice.
Today's Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the season of Lent, please bless my sacrifice in these forty days. Please lead me closer to your heart and into a deeper understanding of the beautiful creation you made me to be. Do not allow me to end these forty days unchanged, but transform my mind, heart, and soul. I love you Jesus, I give myself to You and consecrate this True Beauty Challenge to You. Amen.
Today's Challenge:
Go to Mass and begin Lent right by receiving Jesus and consecrating the True Beauty Challenge to Him. Then wear your ashes proudly as a sign of your commitment to leave behind worldly desires and journey closer to Christ this Lent.
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DAY 2 - FAST WITH THE HEART
"Dear children, today I call you to begin fasting with the heart. There are enough people who fast - but only because everybody else is fasting. It has become a routine which no one wants to discontinue. Dear children, fast and pray with the heart."
- Our Lady of Medjugorje (9/20/1984)
Today's Reflection:
Let's begin our Lenten journey by focusing on why we are doing what we are doing. The buzz surrounding the beginning of Lent each year amazes me. All over the Internet, radio, and in conversations, we hear one question, "what are you giving up for Lent?" Everyone knows that we are supposed to give something up, but it seems to me that most of us don't think too deeply about why. So, Lent comes and goes each year with one empty sacrifice offered after another. Yet, this in many ways defeats the purpose of Lent and our Lord does not take delight in sacrifices offered out of guilt or routine. Our Lord takes delight in sacrifices offered with the heart. God’s concern with sacrifices is not what we sacrifice but how we sacrifice. Do we sacrifice from a heart full of love or just to fulfill an empty obligation? Our Lord loves sacrifices that aim at leading us closer to Him.I know you are wondering when I'm going to start talking about true beauty as I promised. Patience, we have forty days and I promise it is coming. However, I believe we will find our "beauty transformation" most fruitful if we begin by focusing all of our attention on offering our Lenten fasts to the Lord with our HEARTS. In order to understand our true beauty, our hearts must belong to the Lord. He must have complete permission to mold our understanding and change us according to His Truth.
Today's Challenge:
Spend ten minutes in prayer. Offer your heart to Jesus and give Him permission to mold your understanding and change you according to His Truth. Tell Him of your desire to be truly beautiful. Ask Him to give you the strength to offer Him this sacrifice with your heart everyday this Lent.________________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 3- BEAUTY: THE DESIRE OF YOUR HEART
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."
-Psalm 51:10
Today's Reflection:
It is Day three of Lent. How are you doing? Are you feeling beautiful? The world we live in can be a very challenging place to set aside our focus on exterior beauty. It is Friday and you may be feeling the desire to dress up your face for a date night, girls night, or gosh even just to go to the grocery store! If you find your worldly desire for beauty creeping back in, do not be discouraged! More than fifty women participated in the first True Beauty Challenge in 2011. You are not alone!Yes, we fight a great battle against the world and its misconceptions about beauty. Yes, it can be difficult to feel less 'put together' than we normally like to be. Yes, that desire for beauty will come creeping in. My sisters in Christ, that desire is good! OUR DESIRE FOR BEAUTY IS GOOD.
Beauty is the desire of your heart. Why? Because GOD put it there! God created us with a desire for beauty so that we would choose to let His astonishing work in the creation of our soul shine forth for all to see. Beauty is an inherent desire of every woman's heart, what she does with that desire - now that is up to her. The True Beauty Challenge is not about silencing a creeping desire for beauty, it is about realizing the full potential of our beauty. The desire of your heart is good, give it to God and let Him make it something great, something heavenly.
Today's Challenge:
Throughout the day today thank God for your desire for beauty.Many parishes pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent, so a second challenge may be to attend the service your local parish or pray them on your own.
Today's Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for placing the desire for beauty in my heart. Please take my desire and use it for your glory. Take my hand and continue to lead me on this journey to beauty. Day by day this Lent reveal to me the true meaning of my hearts desires. Amen.Day 4 - WHAT IS TRUE BEAUTY?
For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan; But either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
- Wisdom 13:1-5
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
- Wisdom 13:1-5
Today's Reflection:
What is true beauty? Our Scripture passage for today tells us that God is the author of beauty. Beauty exists to reveal God. Everything that is beautiful in creation points us to the creator who is more beautiful than it all. This is why people feel drawn to thank God for a beautiful sunset or find walking on a wooded path to be a spiritually edifying experience. The beauty of creation is meant to draw us to God.God made man as the highpoint of creation, and more than that, He created man in His image. Beauty then, for us, is the image of God dwelling within us. God is also the author of life. He has given us life and created us with beauty by fashioning us in His image. So, when we embrace God's life within us we are truly beautiful. To be beautiful women, we must live lives of virtue dependent on grace.
We will talk more about virtue and grace later, but for today let's focus on the basic truth of beauty: Beauty is made by God to draw us to Him. If we embrace this truth it will have a significant effect on how we view ourselves as women. Our physical beauty was not meant for us to obsess over and make an idol of for ourselves or others. Our beauty begins in our souls (the most intimate part of us that God created) and through our bodies beauty is a reflection of the image of the God. We must first seek to live in communion with God, allowing His life to dwell within us. As we live in grace and grow in virtue we will experience an outpouring of His abundant life and beauty. Then, our beauty will shine forth from our souls as it is intended to and will draw others to God.
You may think, well that sounds great but I'm not sure I can put all that theological talk into action. My sisters in Christ, God has blessed us with the weeks of Lent to unpack these theological concepts and learn what it means to "live in grace and grow in virtue." Do not be discouraged, be assured that you ARE BEAUTIFUL, and together we are going to become more beautiful. The desire of our hearts for beauty is intended to lead us to God. So in the words of Bl. Pope John Paul II, "Rise, let us be on our way."
Today's Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Author of Life, Author of Beauty, come and dwell in my soul. Pour your grace into my heart and fill me with your presence so that I may live as the truly beautiful daughter of God you created me to be. Thank you for fashioning me, molding me, and designing me to be beautiful. Thank you for giving me a desire for beauty which leads me to You. Teach me what it means to be truly beautiful. May my beauty always turn my eyes and the eyes of others towards you. Amen.Today's Challenge:
Every time you look in the mirror and see a face that is without makeup, remember that true beauty comes from God's life dwelling inside you. Smile and go about your day bringing Him to others."For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan"
- Wisdom 13:1
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FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT - HAPPY SABBATH
"This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
- Psalm 118:24
Sundays call us to remember the Resurrection of Christ. So today let's thank God for the new life He is bringing to our souls through our Lenten fasts and prayer. The Lord truly remade my heart through the True Beauty Challenge, and I was not the same woman at the end. Every day I felt His grace flowing through me. Much to my surprise, when I looked in the mirror my reflection did not discourage me but I was able to see myself as more beautiful. I hope you are beginning to experience transformation as well.
Since Sundays are not part of the forty days of Lent, there will not be reflections for Sundays. I encourage you to take these days of rest to celebrate our Lord and the Sabbath day. Go to Mass, read Scripture and spiritual books, and pray. Make each Sunday during Lent a little retreat. Keep in mind that the more you put into your TBC, the more you will get out of it. If Sundays become days to focus even more on growing in love for the Lord then He will reward you with grace and transformation.
Today's Challenge:
Go to the Discussion page at www.trueroyalbeauty.com and share with us your experience so far!!! We will all get a lot more out of this True Beauty Challenge if we share our struggles and joys with each other._________________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 5 - BEAUTIFUL WRINKLES
Beauty Misconception #1: I have to have a Perfect Face
"People like Mother Teresa didn’t spend much time in front of the mirror. Instead, she devoted herself to becoming a mirror, reflecting God’s dancing light wherever she went."
-Jenny Schroedel
Today’s Reflection:
The first step to true beauty is to break through our misconceptions about beauty. We begin by exposing what beauty is not. Beauty is not having a 'perfect' face.In a conversation I had with my husband about beauty he said, "I heard something very interesting about Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta today. As she aged her face wrinkled and people saw beauty in her wrinkles because she was so full of love, so holy.” Then with kindness in his voice, he continued, “Hollie, you are a very beautiful woman in the eyes of the world, but you are not as beautiful as Mother Teresa." This was no insult to me, nor did I take offense to it. My husband went on to say that he hopes and prays that I will be as beautiful as Mother Teresa one day. I was not offended because he is absolutely right. Mother Teresa's beauty was so far beyond any worldly beauty and her virtue overwhelmingly exceeds mine.
What was so entrancing about the face of Mother Teresa was it mirrored her virtue. Look at a picture of this woman and you are drawn into her beauty. It is as if you can see the holiness of her soul radiating through the smile on her face. Our faces are prone to acne, redness, and all kinds of flaws. We will all age and our faces will wrinkle; there is no way around that. The question is, when people look at our faces will they see the beauty of our souls?
Today's Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you know the desires of my heart. You gave me a great desire for beauty so that I would seek virtue. Help me then to grow in virtue so as to be truly beautiful. May I strive not for worldly beauty but beauty that shines from my soul. Amen. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.
Today's Challenge:
Print a picture of Blessed Mother Teresa and put it on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, or somewhere you will see it every day. When you look at it ask the Lord to help you to be beautiful like her._________________________________________________________________________________________________
Day 6- FASHIONISTA OR FLOWER
Beauty Misconception #2: I have to have new clothes/the latest fashions.
"Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."
- Matthew 6:29
Today's Reflection:
In today's Scripture, Jesus is speaking about lilies. He is contrasting two types of beauty; the first being Solomon, arrayed in all of his majestic colorful robes and gold. The second being a simple white flower. To our Lord, the flower in its natural beauty and simplicity was more beautiful than one who arrayed himself in worldly goods.It is so easy to get caught in the worldly misconception that to be beautiful we have to have new clothes and follow the latest fashions. There is something about a new shirt that makes us feel more confident and beautiful. So we search for new clothes, we long for them, and we often let having them or not having them determine our attitude and self-confidence. I have definitely stood in front of my closet wishing that by staring I could magically make a new blouse appear because then maybe I would feel beautiful for the day. Ever been there? Yet, when I do get that new shirt the feeling of confidence and beauty that it gives me only lasts for a few hours or days until I see the next new shirt I'd like to have or that other girl in the room with something better. Suddenly the beauty allure of my new shirt begins to fade in my mind and I am once again left feeling dissatisfied.
Maybe this feeling of dissatisfaction is actually a blessing from the Lord. He does not want us to be so wrapped up in fashion that we forget about the soul that we are dressing. Solomon's robes faded in comparison to the beauty of the lily. The beauty of any outfit we wear cannot compare to the natural beauty that the Lord has given us. We should be less concerned with what we put on our bodies, and more concerned with who we are within our bodies.
I'm not saying that clothing is evil. Clothing does have the power to express our femininity and true beauty. Feeling good in a new dress isn't a bad thing. Yet, if we let ourselves believe that clothing, or makeup for that matter, determine our beauty and worth then we have let Satan win. The Lord tells us that WE (our souls) are more beautiful than anything we can put on. Our beauty is not dependent on what we wear. In fact, our natural beauty far exceeds the beauty of anything material. A lily is beautiful because it is precisely what God created it to be. It is simple, it is natural, and it is clothed in perfect white. We are also called to be simple, natural, and clothed in the perfect white of holiness, virtue, and purity. Then our Lord looks at us and says, "Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like [her]."
Today's Prayer:
Heavenly Father, transform my mind and my heart so that I will long to array my soul in beauty more than I long to array my body with worldly things. I want to be beautiful like the lilies. Make my soul beautiful. Amen.Today's Challenge:
In the spirit of true beauty and Lenten almsgiving, today go into your closet and choose one thing or a few things to give away. As you do this, pray that the Lord will help you to detach yourself from the desire for clothing and in its place give you a greater desire for holiness.(A special thanks to Bonnie Graczyk, for suggesting today's Scripture passage. Thank you, Mom, for listening to the soft voice of the Holy Spirit.)
Day 7 - BARBIE IS NOT REAL
Beauty Misconception #3: I must have the perfect body.
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
Today's Reflection:
It begins when we are little girls and someone hands us a Barbie to play with. We see a perfect body that never changes and long to be just like her. Then the media bombards our minds with images of "perfect" women. Before we know it, we believe that these women in the pictures are in fact more beautiful than we are. Then we let Satan win by giving in to the temptation to do everything in our power to become more like them. The lie creeps in and our mind starts racing. Maybe if I go to the gym one more time this week? Maybe if I wear more makeup? Maybe if I stop eating so much? Maybe if I stop eating all together? Then? Then will I be beautiful like them?
There is something that the makers of Barbie and media sources do not tell us. IT’S NOT REAL! The "beauty" of Barbie and the women on T.V. are not real! Did you know that if Barbie were a real woman she would not be able to stand? That's right, her proportions are so unrealistic that there is no way she could be real. What about the women on T.V. and in magazines? They are airbrushed, color-filtered, and often times have undergone plastic surgeries to look the way they do! Real? Far from it!
Something tells me that none of this is news to you though. We know these things. With our minds we know these things, but how often do we let the world's ideal for women's bodies take over what we know to be true? How often do we buy into the lies? We have to begin sowing the truth in our hearts, because to know with our minds is not enough. You ARE beautiful. You are real. You are perfect just the way God made you. One more trip to the gym, one fewer cupcake, one more eye shadow color; none of it will ever determine your beauty.
Saint Paul wrote, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"(1 Corinthians 3:16). What matters about our bodies is not that they are ‘perfect’ in the eyes of the world. What matters about our bodies is that they are the temple of God. Is going to the gym evil? Of course not! It is taking care of your temple so that you can love and serve the Lord. But, that must be our mindset. We cannot take care of our bodies because we long for a beauty that the world says we need to achieve. It is not realistic and it is not what God intends for us. God wants us to realize that our bodies are the home for our souls. Our bodies are made for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and therefore to make God present on earth. With our bodies we bring God to the world. That, my sisters in Christ, is not a mission dependent on having the ‘perfect’ body but a mission that calls us to recognize with our hearts that God already made us perfect. God made our bodies so that we could serve Him.
It is difficult to live in a world that is so caught up in body image and not succumb to do the same. We have to be active in the battle against the mentality of the world or we will get lost in it. So today we set our focus on our bodies being "the temple of God." We accept them for what they are, and we ask God to help us love ourselves. We fight off discouragement and we acknowledge that the ‘perfect’ bodies of Barbie and celebrities are not real, nor are they worth seeking. Happiness is not found in the perfection of our earthly bodies, but in seeking the perfection of the eternal soul. Happy are those who focus on loving and serving the Lord with their bodies. Be real, let your body be a channel for the Holy Spirit to flow into the world.
Today's Prayer:
Oh Lord, turn my eyes away from images of worldly perfection of body and towards the interior disposition of my soul. Make me confident in my body. If ever I question the beauty of my body, remind me that it is Your temple. Amen.
Today's Challenge:
Each time you look in the mirror remember today's Scripture:
"Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
- 1 Corinthians 3:16
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Copyright © 2012 by Hollie Danis
