Attractiveness

         I haven't felt inspired of late to write.  However, today the Holy Spirit has reminded me of several other lessons I've learned about family life.  Today I'll disclose how my eyes were opened to my unattractiveness.  Attractive people, attract others to them.  That's why the most popular kids in school were usually the best looking.  I've always worked hard at trying to look good, both inside and out.  I would always receive compliments from friends and those I associated with, especially at my workplace. Then came a comment from our son that made me stop and take a look at how my family saw me, and how shallow the most popular kids were.

          The four years that our children were in high school, I worked in the counseling office of their school.  How's that for being controlling?!  And one day, our son came home from school and said something to the effect, "Everyone at school thinks you are so nice and cute, Mom, but they don't really know you."  OUCH!   I think I just laughed because I guess I figured that our teenagers usually don't think that their parents are nice or cute.  But later, his comment  revisited my mind and heart and I didn't feel very attractive.

          My children saw how kind I was to everyone at work, always helping, welcoming, caring, smiling.  It must have been confusing for them to then see me at home, tired and not jumping up instantly to help with something, or to welcome my spouse home with an attractive smile, complaining about this and that, etc.  I realized that I had always worked hard at trying to look good, both inside and out, to those I encountered outside of my home.

          Jesus attracted and still attracts countless people to Him because of His loving and merciful way.  I used to feel attractive when I had my nails done!  This lesson taught me that it doesn't matter how beautiful your hands and feet look after a manicure/pedicure, or if dressed in a gorgeous outfit and touting a new hairdo. If we take a look at how unhospitable we parents can be to one another and to our children, it is very unattractive.  People do not swarm around those who are unkind, unloving, unforgiving.  Teens don't normally want to be around their parents.  Spouses a lot of times do not want to be around each other.  Perhaps we should all try harder to be more attractive, like Jesus.

          Instead of spending time and money at a beauty spa, I started spending time praying, going to Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.  I work hard at practicing hospitality on my own family and then extending it to others.  It is by imitating Jesus that we become attractive.  At a weekly parish event at my former parish, we would have a great dinner together as a parish family and then I would lead a prayer service.  All of the children would swarm around me, and I felt the joy of attracting these little ones with holiness.  I would look out into the congregation and see manly men on their knees praying, and women with tears in their eyes, and they were all so beautiful, inside and out.  And even now, when my husband and I pray the rosary in the evenings, I look at my spouse and he is never more attractive to me than when he is praying to God.  Holiness is attractive!  We need to teach our children this valuable lesson.

          Attractiveness begins with being attracted to Jesus.  Let's swarm around His Word and Sacrament and learn hospitality from the one that welcomes everyone into His heart and life forever and ever and ever.  Amen.

"Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality."  (Romans 12:13)

"Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another."  (1 Peter 4:9)
 

"Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him."  (Luke 10:38)