The Face of Jesus

June 4,  Saturday of the 7th week of Easter
Acts 28:16–20, 30-31; John 21:20–25;

Looking at the face of Jesus is an act of faith that brings the grace and mercy of God to you.

"The just will gaze on your face, O Lord." This is our response for today. This responsorial psalm led me to realize that the face of any person in this world speaks of many memories, experiences, emotions, and expressions of life, especially to those who have known them.

Sometimes, if I look at a picture of an old movie personality, the eyes, the smiles, and the lifestyle, I recall vividly the movies I watched years ago. And then I would hear the song "If" by an American soft rock band, Bread, with the line: "If a picture paints a thousand words..."

More so in front of Jesus' apostles, such as John, "whom Jesus loved." I can see John remembering Jesus' miracles, how he healed the blind and the leper, how happy he was when he fed 5,000 people, and what he taught. 

And if all of these were to be written down, John said: "There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books written."

Since they can not all be written down, those who experience Jesus personally cannot just keep these memories and experiences in their hearts and minds. They have to witness and share the love of Jesus with others.

This is the example of St. Paul in our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, and it is written: "He received all who came to him, and with complete assurance and without hindrance, he proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."

There have been a lot of cases of depression and suicide in the past two years of the pandemic all over the world. I know friends who recovered from COVID and depression. As the song by Steve Green goes: "People need the Lord!"

I know friends who got peace of mind and heart after losing loved ones in the past two years. They needed Jesus. And the sick saw the face of Jesus through them.

Who knows? If you experience the love and mercy of Jesus personally, like John and Paul, share Jesus with your family, friends, and community so that they will also declare and shout: "The just will gaze on your face, O Lord."