Adorned with Insecurities

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” // Luke 21:5-6

I adjusted the swim suit again in the mirror. Maybe the romper part of it didn’t look as bad as I had anticipated? Maybe I could wear this while balancing the baby in the pool and not look like . . . an almost forty-year-old mom of five? Who am I kidding? It was an old lady swimsuit. I tossed it over my chair.

I glanced in the rearview mirror at pickup, thinking maybe a hat could remedy my hair situation. The last time I had washed and brushed it out was . . . maybe three days ago? But as I reached for my straw hat, I realized the baby had squeezed his food pouch all over it as we drove to school. A greasy mom-bun would have to do.

I wiped mascara off my eyelids, wiping and patting to ensure I didn’t look like a total raccoon the next day. It caught in the extra creases under my eyes, a soft catch-all for my late nights reading and early mornings making school lunches. I should have watched that suggested makeup tutorial.

The temple in Jerusalem was adorned with costly stones as we hear in today’s Gospel. I’m sure it was gleaming and glorious. Yet even this place of worship would be torn down, as Jesus tells us, “there will not be left a stone upon another stone” (Luke 21:6).

I have spent a fair chunk of my time in this precious life worrying about my external appearance. Am I stylish enough? Am I smiling sufficiently? Do my thighs touch too much? Have I spent the same amount of time worrying about the condition of my soul? Am I charitable in thought? Am I available in prayer? Am I seeking God’s will in action?

Maybe instead of worrying about how we look, we can all agree that our bodies, while beautiful in their own way, will and are decaying, but it’s the beautiful mystery of our immortal souls that lives on. Meanwhile, we will have to wait for glorified bodies for the end of time at the resurrection of the body (see Catechism of the Catholic Church § 997). Let’s take off the filters, get to Confession, and let go of controlling what we look like on the outside.

Jesus wants to transform us radically, starting with healing us from our sins.

Jesus wants to transform us radically. // Nell O'LearyClick to tweet

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