This lent, myself, Olivia and Chloe are doing the True Beauty Challenge. The True Beauty Challenge is a Lenten exercise that offers meditation, insight, and a challenge for that day, all based on the hopes of acquiring and understanding true beauty.
The book begins our journey by asking us to really think about why it is we are performing a certain sacrifice, and I think that is a perfect place to start. No matter what it is that you chose to give up or sacrifice for lent, I encourage you to begin to contemplate why you sacrificed that; what is the purpose; what benefit will it have on your soul?
Why would one give up make-up for lent in the True Beauty Challenge? In our modern culture, it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the amount of pressure we as women feel to be "beautiful". There are countless sources out there telling us how to be beautiful in all the wrong ways.
Think for just a minute about this question - what ways do you pursue beauty?
I think even those of us who consider ourselves to have a decent understanding of true beauty would still answer some of the ways the world tells us to. Lose weight, clearer skin, more toned muscles, longer eyelashes, smaller waist, fashionable clothing, perfect hair, etc. Many of us know that these do not determine the ultimate beauty of a person, yet we still feel so much pressure and spend so much time trying to attain these worldly images of beauty.
As for the make-up aspect, it is important that we as women learn to showcase our natural beauty without the distraction of added features. The purpose of makeup is to enhance this natural beauty, not to distract from it.
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the dove beauty campaign, but I thought this video was great for giving a visual to why giving up make-up will help us to achieve our goal of recognizing our natural beauty.
To be honest, my first impression of this challenge was that it wasn't going to be exceedingly difficult. I have never been one to spend a ton of time on doing my make-up, and in the past have gone numerous days without any make-up whatsoever. However, it's only day two, and I have already had to face some difficulties. My roommate turned 21, and a group of us were going out to have a small celebration. All the girls began getting ready, and I sat down and just stared at my make-up bag deciding which two items I was going to keep. I decided on foundation and mascara. Needless to say, it only took me about 5 minutes to finish my make-up. Then I sat around while the rest of the girls continued getting ready. I was struck by two thoughts during this time:
1) I was astounded at how much free time I had on my hands. If that was the amount of time I would have normally spent getting ready, I realized I was taking time away from more productive things I could be doing.
2) I was really disappointed I couldn't put on more make-up! All the other girls were getting done-up, and I felt less beautiful than them. I realized just how much the pressure of the world's beauty had on me. I felt less beautiful because I had a little less eye make-up on. How ridiculous! This doesn't determine what makes a woman truly beautiful!
In hopes that we might attain an understanding of what it means to have true beauty, the True Beauty Challenge asks us to give up make-up while also adding spiritual challenges. I think a good place to start our journey on discovering what true beauty is and how to attain it for ourselves is to find examples. Think of any woman you feel portrays true beauty -- Mother Teresa, St. Gianna, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Maria Goretti, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernadette, St. Edith Stein -- maybe it’s your mom, or your aunt, or a close female friend that you see true beauty in. All of these examples are good, and so many more, but it’s important to have our role models to look to throughout this journey. One main reason is for intercession, but also because not all these women meet the world’s definition of beauty, yet they all have true beauty. So what is it about them that makes them truly beautiful? I encourage you, as I will, to continue contemplating on this and finding inspiration from these women throughout the course of this lent.
I would like to offer some of my final thoughts on this -- firstly, when I think of true beauty, of course Mary is the first to come to my mind. We have heard that Mary is God's most beautiful creation, but what about her makes her beautiful? Is it her perfect figure? her perfect hair? her fashionable clothing?
No!
It's her virtue, her love, her humility, meekness, piety, patience, kindness, but what makes her the most beautiful is that she is a perfect reflection of Christ; her heart reflects His heart.
In The Imitation of Mary, Alexander de Rouville says “Jesus made [Mary] so like himself, that [she] was a living image of Him." (pg 271) She maintains a pure and sinless nature devoid of the effects of sin -- a loss of beauty.
Lastly, I want to post my one of my favorite quotes from Captivating,
"Whatever it means to bear God's image, you do so as a woman. Female. That's how and where you bear his image. Your feminine heart has been created with the greatest of all possible dignities -- as a reflection of God's own heart." (pg 8).
Ladies, this is where we find our true beauty. In living out our femininity as God created it, we reflect His heart.
I hope you will continue to join our team as we strive to uncover what it means to live out this authentic femininity and uncover true beauty in ourselves as well as recognizing it in others.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
✝ Carrie
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