“Nothing represents an object more faithfully…than a mirror.”
—Letters, Vol. 3, 90
Have you ever looked in the mirror and suddenly noticed all the flaws you hadn’t seen before? Mirrors are great for highlighting what you don’t want to see. They can also, however, be useful in helping to bring something in need of care to our attention.
In this letter to Annita Rodote, one of his spiritual daughters, Padre Pio spoke to her about the virtues of modesty in all aspects of life. The image of a mirror is a good one to use because it reminds us to reflect on what others see in our behavior. How are we treating others? Are we presenting our best qualities for the world to see?
Perhaps Lent is a good time for us to take a look in the mirror.
In Padre Pio’s Own Words
Join your heart to Jesus’ heart, and be simple of heart the way he wants you to be. Try to reflect the simplicity of Jesus in your life, keeping worldly wisdom and sophistication far from your heart. Try to have a mind that is always pure in its thoughts, always righteous in its ideas, always holy in its intentions. Try to have a will that seeks nothing but God and his preferences and seeks glory and honor only from him.
Let us mirror Jesus, my dear, in his hidden life. All of his infinite majesty was hidden in the shadows and in the silence of that humble workshop in Nazareth. Therefore let us also try to lead an inner life that is hidden in God.
(To Raffaelina Cerase, July 14, 1914)
Prayer
St. Pio, you preached tirelessly the truth that we are made in the image of God. Help us to see ourselves clearly and work to reflect the person we were created to be.
