"Turn Around and Catch Sight of Jesus"

I have taught this simple message to all of my seminary students through the years: Jesus fixes his Sacred Heart on you. He desires eye contact with you. He watches and waits to catch your eye, to see-into-you eye-to-eye.

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb 3:1, 12:2).

When you enjoy recovery and are healed through some estrangement; when you are in the garden of pain, disappointment, or the paradise of happiness; when you stand weeping beside the tomb and do not know where Jesus is; when you are inclined to look away from the friend in the dining room or the stranger on the elevator or parking lot"Turn around and catch sight of Jesus standing there" (Jn 20:14).

An abiding and quite mysterious grace in our biblical, spiritual, liturgical, and pastoral life refreshes our desire to see Jesus . . . mostly our desire to be-seen-by-Jesus.

Learn and ponder the biblical and Eucharistic meaning of "face." "Face" exposes us to the personal "presence" of GodGod present in creation, in the temple, and in every person. You have a vocation to see the face of God. Acknowledge and enjoy the face of Risen Jesus in the sanctuary and in the street. Believe God to be present. Be bold. Be humble enough to take a long loving look on his faceand see God present.

"Turn around and catch sight of Jesus standing there."

Ponder. How do you know God enjoys your face? God enjoys your presence? God enjoys being seen by you? Have eye contact with Risen Jesus and you will know God enjoys eye contact with you.

"See his face," and have eye contact with God present in another person. When I know God enjoys my face, my presence, I become more ready to draw near and make eye contact with someoneeven when we do not see eye-to-eye.

Jesus, give me change! This is an abbreviated version of what happens to Francis of Assisi when he sees lepers. Francis is afraid of lepers. Leprosy! He rides past.

Finally, while he is afraid, Francis sees the leper, dismounts . . . goes to the leper . . . hugs the leper . . . yet the leper is not cured. But Francis is cured.

Who is the leper in my life? Whom do I need to see? To hug? So that Inot the one I seewill heal a little? Some wound in you will heal when you look and see the face of the one who wounded you.

"Turn around and catch sight of Jesus standing there."

In Lectionary readings from Sunday to Sunday, Advent to Advent, Easter to Easter, catch sight of earthly Jesus standing there. Do lectio divina, meditative reading, on the appearances of Risen Jesus in the biblical narratives and in your personal life.

"Catch sight of Risen Jesus standing there."

Daily, in Lectionary and Liturgy of the Hours, we pray with great desire to "see the face of God." "Lord, let your face shine upon us that we may be saved" (Ps 80:4). "My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life. When can I enter and see the face of God?" (Ps 42:3). "Let the light of your face shine on us O Lord" (Ps 4:7).

Look upon anyone's face. His namethe name Jesu—will be on their foreheads (Rev 22:4). "Come and see Jesus" (Jn 1:39). Come and see Jesus in the city. "Turn around and catch sight of Jesus standing here" in Detroit.