During the Christmas season, finding Jesus is relatively easy, if only on a superficial level. Jesus is indeed “the reason for the season,” and reminders are everywhere. Sometimes, as early as the day after, the decorations come down and are stored away. Strictly speaking, the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season, followed by a return to Ordinary Time. Finding Jesus requires a little more effort when Christmas trappings are absent and daily life resumes.
Looking Beyond the Superficial
At first glance, Ordinary Time might be viewed as common or deficient. Nothing could be further from the truth. The first definition of ordinary is “routine and usual.” After the festivities of a liturgical season, returning to the normal course of daily life is necessary. Finding Jesus requires looking beyond the superficialities surrounding us and the resolve to find out where He is staying. The disciples were rewarded for their inquiry by Jesus in the form of a question:
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. (John 1:38-39 NABRE)
“Come, and you will see” and “Seek, and you will find” convey the same directive from Our Lord: We must search, find, and follow. Finding Jesus hidden in a person or situation requires looking through the eyes of faith.
In the Present Moment
Once we acknowledge the presence of Jesus in a given person or place, we must act with the same compassion and understanding that we would afford the Messiah. The best way to go about this process is one day at a time. Part of the “daily bread” we receive from God involves the “eyes to see” and the “ears to hear” what faith reveals in the sacrament of the present moment.
Concerns about the future often distract us from the day’s work to which we are called. The responsibility of addressing what is within a given day can be discharged more readily without concern for what lies ahead. Jesus addresses the importance of leaving the future in His hands in the following:
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day. (Matthew 6:34 RSVCE)
Finding Jesus, then, involves looking for Him in the present moment and place. The past is gone, and the future is beyond. The search for the Lord is bracketed by strict parameters and requires a concentrated effort in the eternal now. Once you embrace the concept of living in the here and now, the difference between Ordinary Time and Seasonal Time becomes minimal. Living a day at a time focusing on “Finding God in all things” fosters the discovery for which our hearts long.
Where to Find Jesus
Within the routines of an average day, there are blessings to be found. Some are pronounced, and some are hidden. Family and friends can bless you by their mere appearance while finding Jesus in someone hungry and homeless is more of a challenge. Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew sheds light on where Jesus can be found:
“Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:34-40 RSVCE)
Let us pray for the grace to find Jesus in Ordinary Time, Seasonal Time, and every day of our lives.
