August 21

On August 21, 1911, one of the most famous art heists in history took place when Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, was an Italian handyman who believed the painting rightfully belonged in Italy. Disguised in a worker’s smock, he and two accomplices hid inside the museum overnight. In the early morning, they removed the portrait from its case, wrapped it in a white cloth, and simply walked out with it tucked under an arm. The theft went unnoticed until hours later, when an artist visiting the gallery noticed the empty space on the wall and raised the alarm.

The disappearance caused an international sensation. Newspapers ran front-page stories for months, making the Mona Lisa more famous than it had ever been before. Police arrested several suspects—including the artist Pablo Picasso—before finally discovering the painting in 1913, when Peruggia attempted to sell it to an art dealer in Florence. Ironically, it was this brazen act of theft that transformed the Mona Lisa from a respected Renaissance work into the world’s most recognized painting, cementing her mysterious smile as an icon of global culture.

Prayer Focus: True Value vs. Perceived Value

Lord, so often the world tells us what has worth—what is “famous,” “valuable,” or “important.” Yet true value is not always what catches headlines or draws crowds. The Mona Lisa is called a masterpiece, yet many who stand before it are puzzled, wondering what they are missing. Perhaps it is not what we see on the surface that makes something a masterpiece, but the hidden story, the history, and the meaning beneath.

Teach us to look at people and moments the same way—not just for what is flashy, popular, or celebrated, but for the deeper worth You have placed within them. Remind us that every person bears Your image, whether or not the world recognizes it. Help us to see with eyes of faith, to recognize true beauty and purpose where others overlook it, and to honor the “masterpieces” in our lives that may not be hanging in a museum but living right beside us.

Reflection Question

What is "hidden beneath" in you that could be a masterpiece if it were allowed to be seen?

What masterpiece in your life might the world miss if you only focus on what is popular or celebrated instead of what is truly valuable?