There is a time in our life when we often wonder: Who am I? For what I was born in this life? Where will this life go? These are the questions that determine the direction of a person’s life, determines a person’s destiny. Whether we will be useful to society or a burden also depends on our choice.

It is said that in the past when people did not know how to look at the mirror, they did not know what they look like. And how are their faces. One time, the husband went to the province, the wife told him to buy her hairpins. “But I don’t know what the hairpins look like”, said the husband. The wife immediately saw the light of the crescent moon and said: The hairpin is like the moonlight, if you forget, then keep looking at the moonlight, you will remember. The husband went on the journey. He was enjoying watching the strange scenery in the province until ten days later to return home. He remembered his wife’s words, he immediately looked up to the sky and saw the light of the full moon night. He went into the shop and bought a round mirror-like moon as his wife told him. Gladly, when he got home, he quickly gave his wife the mirror he had bought from the province. Thinking that his wife would be happy with the gift he brought, but, as soon as she looked at the object, the wife got angry and shouted: “I told you to buy the headpin, why did you bring a lady? Which girl is this?”. The husband was startled, took back the mirror, and watched what happened. He looked in the mirror and saw a man who looked like his father when he was young, so he said: “No, this is my dad!” The wife took back and said: “Who is your father; the lady is clear. Do you still deny it?” Correction was not possible, so the husband had to leave. The mother-in-law felt that way to comfort his daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law gave her mother-in-law to see such clear evidence that the husband refused. A Mother-in-law looked over and then solemnly said: “Stop being jealous! I don’t think this one is worth to be jealous. I see the lady here is also quite old!”

It is funny story but also tells us the truth: if you do not know yourself, you will suffer and others as well. Jesus also said: “Blindly, both fall into a pit.” That is also the landscape of the society we live in. A society full of shadows of sin, depravity, selfishness, and enjoyment has made many people blind to chase after their lost passions, lost their way, immersed themselves in the darkness of fame. Many people are no longer aware of human moral values. They are willing to lose their dignity and trample on the dignity of others. Do they no longer know who they are? Living for what? They are like these people in the story who did not know them, so they caused unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings. Indeed, many people in today’s society, who do not understand the meaning of life, indulge in their sinfulness. They think that people are following the circle of life: born, grow, and die, so they don’t need to live accordingly or live according to morality, leading to overwhelming sin, war-filled life, and chaos.

Today’s young people are looking for idols or models to satify their need of knowing oneself. Do as idols do, idols lives become their goals in life. This is a cause that makes them lose themselves, lose the opportunity to discover and respect their personal values. Blind pursuits not only harm themselves but also affect the private lives of famous people. There have been many heartbreaking stories among artists, celebrities under pressure with so-called anti-fans. They no longer have the freedom to live and choose their own life out of fear of losing their fans, so some choose to give themselves the path of death to free themselves. Other young people who follow a new way of life, what they called “virtual life”. Social networks are increasingly developing with a lot of gadgets but also many downsides. The likes, comments, and shares of the online community have attracted many people who work hard to post photos, post statuses, and immerse themselves in the virtual world. Virtual living is a lifestyle that is not the same as the real life of the life of people on social networks. Even that lifestyle is shown by young people in somehow outrageous and ridiculous way. Virtual living also means dreaming, delusions about the present life. It has become a trend, a trend in today’s society. Young people live more and more virtually. We can easily see virtual living phenomena on Facebook, Instagram, Zalo, … because these are social networks that attract a lot of attention from young people. They spend too much time living virtual and forgetting about real life, and real persons that they are. They live virtually by posting a lot of pictures of themselves, posting mood statuses, … to receive a “like” from the online community. In order for their post to get more likes, comments, and shares, many young people have posted pictures showing their hot bodies on Facebook. They even post sensitive content, intriguing and curious content for everyone. Just having pictures with thousands, hundreds of thousands of likes, or Facebook with tens of thousands of followers, they can become a hot girl, a hot boy of the online community. There is no need to participate in any social activities or charity activities but those people automatically become famous. They were too delusional about themselves. To be praised by people for being beautiful, the girls have edited photos through photoshop software to fool everyone’s eyes. The beauty in virtual photos is praised more than beauty in real life. Not only showing off their beauty, body, many young people also show off their family’s wealth, show their lovers… These people are immersed in the virtual world too much. Their reality is far from different.

Therefore, the first message that God sent to mankind was: “REPENT”. Repent stepping out of the darkness of sin, jealousy, and division into the light of love and unity. Christ is the light of the world. From now on, the good news of the Lord’s salvation will enlighten people about what is good, what is evil, what is right, and what is wrong because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And those who follow Him will not have to walk in darkness but in freedom of children of light. “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Follow him, allow him to be our model so that no one will be left behind and everyone will be able to live with true human beings with him because there is no other perfect and real model than him. He is the only model that brings every one of us to be true as ourselves.

May each of us look back to know ourselves. Know the limitations and imperfections to modify. Know the flaws to complement and renew. Know ours sins to repent. May God help us to repent every day to renew our lives in truth and love.