Finding Jesus Within Ourselves

As Catholics, we hear many times throughout our lives that we must see the face of our Lord Jesus Christ in others, even our own enemies. However, another important question remains. Do we see the face of Jesus in ourselves?

Sacred Scripture tells us:

“Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.’ God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1: 26, 27

Since we are made in the image and likeness of God, we are valuable in the eyes of God. If we want evidence of our worth,  all we need to do is look at the Cross. Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, became man in this fallen world, suffered, and died for us that we might spend an eternity of joy with Him in the next. He paid the ultimate price for us. He bought our redemption with the price of the shedding of His Blood, and we should realize just how much of a treasure we are to Him. In a nutshell, it was God Himself who had to save us for us to be redeemed.

Our Uniqueness, Purpose, and Mission

God sees our souls as precious and beautiful. He sees how unique we are because He created us. He sees how each one of us has a purpose and a mission specifically designed for us that no one else can complete. He leads us to that purpose with a loving hand. Sacred Scripture tells us of our beauty and mission.

“You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works!” Psalm 139: 13,14

“’You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.’” Matthew 5:14-16

“’I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.’” John 15: 5-9

So what must we do then? We must take care of ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit. We must thank God every day for the gift of life and for all His blessings as the new day dawns and ends. We must prayerfully discern God’s mission for us. Of crucial importance is that we worthily receive His Body, His Blood, His Soul, and His Divinity in the Eucharist as often as possible. Why? According to Sacred Scripture, Jesus commands this for us so that we have life within us:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.’” John 6: 53-56

Jesus as Our Companion

Sometimes, focusing on our own  faults, shortcomings, and our crosses is very easy. But our Lord Jesus Christ is in fact with us, every step of the way. All we need to do is look at the altar at Mass during the transubstantiation and within our hearts during prayer time at home. There we will find true beauty and peace. There we will find the loving face of our Creator and Saviour: Jesus Christ.

“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make His spirit, His devotion, His affections, His desires and His disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly.” Saint John Eudes