“I WILL
GIVE YOU
SHEPHERDS”
Forming Priests for the New Evangelization
“Turn Around and Catch Sight of Jesus”
I
Sr. Mary Finn, hvm
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 God—God
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 face—and 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 someone—even 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 I—not the one
I see—will 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 name—the
name Jesus—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.
Ponder. How do you know God enjoys
your face? God enjoys your presence?
God enjoys being seen by you?
Sr. Mary Finn, HVM,
is assistant professor
of theology and
director of supervised
ministry/integrating
studies at Sacred
Heart. This year
marked her forty-fifth
year of service to the
seminary.
FAll 2014
SAcred HeArt MAjor SeminAry
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