By Father John Catoir | Catholic News Service

Recently, I sent out this tweet: "When you look in the mirror don't focus on wrinkles, rather look deeply at your overall beauty which reveals your love & inner goodness."

Some dictionaries attempt to define beauty. They say beauty is: being lovely, seemly, worthy, fair, fine, radiant, alluring, splendid, admirable, exquisite, wonderful, attractive, stupendous, enjoyable and captivating.

How many of these adjectives can be aptly used to describe the face? Not many. They describe a person's positive qualities, all of which pertain to the inner beauty of the soul.

It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which is quite true. Then one must examine the beholder's capacity to see beneath the surface. When you look in the mirror, you become the beholder. You will either focus on the wrinkles or you will look deeper to find the light within your soul. Is it dim? Or is it radiant?

In many ways, your beauty has nothing to do with the face you were born with. It has everything to do with the state of your soul.

A woman who is out of work and afraid, suddenly, has accepted a great job. Her face in the weeks before was strained, sad and unattractive. News of the job snapped her out of the doldrums. She now exudes joy and becomes a radiant woman. She still has the same face, but this leads us to believe that real beauty comes from within.

Don't tell that to the billion-dollar cosmetic industry, which specializes in "touching up," telling men and women that you can primp up easily and improve your appearance. Consider that you can't make-over a soul with lipstick or creams.

Vanity is a gentle vice and it affects men and women.

You can be attractive or unattractive. All you have to do is send signals that are either alluring or disgusting. If you don't care, then be as much of a slob as you like, because the beauty of a human being is more an option than a gift.

Beauty is a living thing. It's more an ambience than physical. Beyond first impressions, one can gradually discover hidden treasures in another person that were not noticed at first. To be beautiful is to be lovely. Loveliness, in the dictionary, is defined as a quality that inspires love, affection or admiration. It would seem that a person who sends forth feelings of love is far more attractive than just a pretty face.

Cultivating a loving heart, even toward strangers, involves no risk at all. If the stranger responds with boorish behavior, then turn away. But always remember that a smile is worth a pound of makeup.

To be beautiful is to be fair and fine. These are qualities that one can cultivate. Good breeding can begin when you are very young, or in midlife, or on whatever day you decide to be beautiful.

To be beautiful is to be radiant, alluring and splendid. Radiance is a state of being filled, which is filled with light, joy and happiness. Never underestimate the power of faith in this process. Rejoicing in the knowledge of God's love can lift you to new heights in a matter of moments.