The Face Of Jesus

I’m not totally sure why, but lately Peter and I have been thinking a lot about the Face of Jesus. He recently painted Veronica’s veil by using a booklet I felt moved to get for him last Christmas on this sacred devotion.

Over the weekend we were in Chicago to see a reproductive immunologist (we think my infertility and miscarriages are related to an autoimmune issue), and we made a Holy Hour before Mass. While I knelt there, I gazed upon the face of Jesus on the crucifix—but it was totally hidden in shadow.

I squinted. I could not make out any features on the towering figure of Christ, and I felt a pang in my heart. I heard Jesus ask, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me?” (John 14:9). Or in other words, “Carolyn, why do you not recognize me even when I am right in front of you?”

“Jesus,” I answered, “you’ve felt so distant lately, but I know You are with me. How do I come to see You and recognize You more?”

The answer came swiftly: “Spend more time with Me.”

And you know what? By the end of our Holy Hour, the sun had shifted in the windows, the light dimmers were turned up, and Jesus’ face was now cast in light.

I often fall for the culture of hustle. I rush. I over-value productivity and my worth gets so tied up in it, and I’m perpetually reminding myself that I need to slow down in order to spend time with Christ. To put it simply, I want to gaze.

After Mass, we spent the entire afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago where I could wander and linger before powerful paintings of the crucified Lord. We love art galleries because our tempo slows down, and we can contemplate within walls of marble and stone.

The very last thing I ever want to happen is to arrive in Heaven and have the Lord say, “Indeed, I do not know you” (Matthew 7:23).

So I ask you too, how can we slow down to spend more time with the Lord?