NunEssential

Here's an encouraging thought from St. Francis: “ Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving God who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. God will either shield you from suffering or will give you the unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.” Happy Lent! St. Francis de Sales

While I am not advocating Dove products nor any companies they may support, I think this commercial is very telling of the beauty industry--wherein they take an average looking girl and transform her with makeup and computer editing to appear "perfect." Every single image that appears in a magazine has been digitally altered, yet no one tells women this fact. Consequently, women and girls can suffer terrible self-esteem problems when they see that don't look like society's "ideal women" who, quite frankly, does not exist.

Here is Pope Benedict's Message for Ash Wednesday

So here we in the season of Lent. Often times Lent is referred to in a rather negative way, insofar as it is a time of giving things up and going without. And while, yes, this can be difficult at sometimes (okay, a lot of times) we really need Lent. We need time to get away from all the things we make idols of and all the ways we don't see ourselves as we truly are. It seems like we sell out to the world often, trading our true dignity and being for illusion and darkness. Is there someone in your life that you really struggle to get along with? Someone that you talk about a lot or gossip about? Those situations can be tough. We turn negative and blame these people for robbing us of our happiness, self-esteem and "virtue." Or perhaps certain people get on our nerves and we say to ourselves, "That person is negative, all she does is complain and gossip." I would say, let us look at ourselves. People, for the most part, are incapable of robbing us of our happiness ...

Lent is upon us already! Wow! This will be an intense time of allowing Jesus to take us into the desert to speak to our hearts. We have been wounded in so many ways and we turn to so many things for relief instead of the One who is the ultimate Healer. May your Lent be fruitful, peaceful and hope-filled. God bless you! Read Pope Benedict's Lenten Message for 2008 here