Seeing with the Eyes of Faith
Last Sunday we celebrated the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. The Lord, like any other human being, allowed himself to be baptized by John the Baptist and is thus revealed by the Father, as the Chosen One and his beloved Son.
Today, the liturgy brings us, once again, to encounter John the Baptist, who helps us enter into the mystery of Christ and understand the first steps taken in the world by the ‘Word made flesh.’
The evangelist of this Sunday's Gospel, says that the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus coming towards him, says: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
It is truly important to reflect on these words spoken by Jesus' Precursor because he, John, was able to "see" Jesus and recognize him as the "Son of God," as the Messiah, who has come to save humanity from sin. Indeed, that day, John the Baptist was not alone; others also saw Jesus, but he alone recognized him and pointed to him as the "Lamb of God," as the Savior who, with his death, would save us from sin and eternal death.
John's "seeing" is the "seeing" of faith, it is the "seeing" of a believer who is able to recognize the Messiah's footsteps in his life. The Lord entered history on tiptoe; his glory is within the daily life of humanity. The presence of the Son of God is recognized only in meekness, simplicity, silence, and humility.
How many times does the Lord come to us, is beside us, and is within us, but we do not see him or recognize him?
How many times in our lives, especially in difficult and painful moments, do we lament God's absence and accuse him of having abandoned us to our sad fate? Yet this is not the case! John the Baptist teaches us to see the Lord with the eyes and intelligence of faith, with the hope of a Christian who believes that the Word of God is truly present in his life and in history. Faith teaches us that we "see" the Lord in his Word, in the Eucharist, in the sacrament of confession and the other sacraments, in charity and in the hope of the Resurrection. Recognize the Lord when you pray, recognize Jesus in the gaze of every woman and every man, especially the poor and the marginalized. It's not enough to be Catholic, it's not enough to be Christian, but it's necessary, especially in our time, to live the faith, live the Gospel, live the teachings of the Church, and desire to see the Lord Jesus, to believe that He alone is the Messiah, the Savior crucified and risen for us.
The desire to see the Lord dwells in the heart of every woman and every man, but not everyone encounters Jesus. Why? Because, in fact, to see the Lord, we must first desire that his gaze touch our hearts and change our lives. It is the Lord who looks at us, encounters us, and loves us first. If we see and encounter Jesus in our lives, something great can happen. Indeed, the Lord, "while he is with us and becomes like us, we too can learn to become like him." And we become "like God" when we sanctify ourselves, that is, when we live our baptism in which we receive the same Holy Spirit received from Jesus on the banks of the Jordan River. Holiness is not a journey free of sin, mistakes, and failures, but a journey in which we place our entire life in the hands of the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."
In conclusion, let us ask ourselves this very important question: How can I see Jesus with the eyes of faith?
Here are 10 concrete ways:
- Jesus is seen in spiritual friendship
- Jesus is seen in the Eucharist
- Jesus is seen on the Cross
- Jesus is seen in the Church
- Jesus is seen in prayer
- Jesus is seen in the revealed Word
- Jesus is seen in the love of service
- Jesus is seen in man
- Jesus is seen in the will of the Father • Jesus is seen in the signs that are evident in those who believe.
The above text is Deacon Francesco Armenti’s homily for Sunday, January 18, preached at Patrick’s Parish in Brampton, Ont. Visiting from Italy, Deacon Armenti is the postulator of the Causes of Saints at the Vatican. Since 2005, he has been visiting the Archdiocese of Toronto, where he's been invited to preach missions and retreats in Italian, English and French.
