Even though
I consider myself prayerful and mindful, I sometimes find it difficult to
recognize Jesus in the many ways He shows up and is presented to me. I especially find it difficult to recognize
Jesus in front of me when I am so deep in the hurts of life that hope seems far
away. I also find it difficult to
recognize Jesus when the world around me seems unfair, unjust, and unstable. Sometimes I’m even surprised that in my quest
for success, acknowledgment, love, peace of mind, and happiness, I’m ultimately
seeking, desiring, and waiting for Jesus to show up. I desire Jesus to be visible and
present. I desire to see Him clearly,
know Him, and rest in the knowledge that His presence means freedom, joy, and
salvation.
Neither
Simeon nor Anna were in an easy place in their life, yet they were so open to
the Spirit of God that they could see clearly.
They could see Jesus the Savior in the baby presented by His parents,
Mary and Joseph. Simeon and Anna
recognized Him immediately. They saw Him
and knew He was the savior they had been waiting for [Luke 2:22-40].
But do we
recognize Him? It’s easy to recognize
Jesus when the communion host is presented and offered to us for spiritual
nourishment. We receive Jesus with
gladness at that moment because we had waited and longed for Him before we
walked into Church. It’s easy to
recognize Jesus on the cross because we remember He loved us enough to die for
us. It’s also easy to recognize Jesus in
a smile we receive from another, a hug, or an act of kindness. Then suddenly, Jesus comes to us in a
different way, a way that requires us to see through God's eyes, a way that requires
us to trust the Spirit. How well do we
do then? How clearly can we see?
I would like
to say that I recognize Jesus in the face of everyone I meet, including those I
find challenging to be around. I would
like to say that I recognize Jesus in the moments when I’m disappointed,
heartbroken, angry, ill, rejected, uncertain, or sad. I would like to say that I could identify
Jesus as soon as He comes into the room as a newborn, the homeless, or
different in any way. I would like to
say I recognize Jesus immediately without a doubt, but that would be a
lie. I do try, but I fail most of the
time.
Maybe it’s
not enough to just recognize Jesus or the presence of God. Maybe we also have to bear Christ as the word
of God so that we may see clearly and also help others recognize Jesus when He
is presented to them. The one whom we
seek and the message we long to hear in Luke’s Gospel are presented to us
today. Do we recognize Him? Can we receive Him? Are we ready to bear Him? Are we ready to pay the price of discipleship?
Merciful
and loving God, You are here. Help us
see Your face and grant us the grace to rejoice in Your presence amongst us.
Jesus, I trust in You.
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