Spiritual Corner - God Gives Us Our Features, but We Have to Create Our Own Countenance

There was a romance writer who once said in her speech: There are three types of persons: the first type are people who do not appear to be pretty, but after getting along with them for a period of time, they will be found prettier and prettier each day. The second type of people are those who first appear to be beautiful, but after getting along further, they will be found not beautiful at all. The third type of persons are those who at first appear to be pretty, and after getting along with them, will be found even prettier.

Dear friends, you may not be able to change your facial features and your skeletons, but you can change your temperament and beautify your countenance. I have once heard: God gives us our features, but we have to create our own countenance! Don’t you think so? We cannot decide on our features, but should be responsible for our own countenance, just like what the Bible says:
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil.” The treasure a person out of his heart decides on the countenance he bears, are we the ones who know how to learn to keep good treasure in our hearts? Or do we have too many greed, evils, snobbishness…? This demands much of our ponderation and self-examination. It is hoped that one day, the comment from others about us is: “She/He did not look pretty at first, but after getting along for some time, he/she looks prettier each day.” Or: ”She/He looks beautiful, but after getting along for some time, she/he looks even more beautiful.”

Dear friends, God gives us features, but we have to create our own countenance.

Let us take these words as our mutual encouragement.

Yours,
Fr. Thomas Loh
(From the Internet)