Throughout our faith journeys in this life, we encounter Jesus in several ways many people don’t even realize! It would benefit our spiritual growth to occasionally spend a few minutes asking ourselves, “How can I be more intentional in preparing to meet Jesus now in my daily life, as well as when I meet Him face-to-face when called home to heaven?”
Some of the ways and places we meet Jesus here and now are at Mass, especially in the Eucharist; in the other sacraments we receive; in Sacred Scripture when we read the bible; when we pray; or simply when we call to mind His presence with us. Additionally, one of the most beautiful ways to meet Jesus in this life is by seeing Him in the faces of all we meet. Indeed, when asked how she could visit, hug, and kiss people with diseases and inadequate hygiene, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta simply answered that she did so because she met Jesus in the faces of others! Taking a cue from St. Mother Teresa, we have wonderful opportunities every single day to intentionally meet Jesus in everyone we encounter. When you do meet Him this way, prepare yourself to be filled with great love, joy, and peace!
Also, one of the most beautiful and spiritually edifying experiences we have as priests is to be with the faithful when they are very near death yet are at peace with going home to God. These faithful individuals are unshaken because they have spent time with Jesus in prayer, in the bible, and by welcoming visitors, family, and friends to be with them in their last days, hours, or even minutes. These are the ways in which these faithful deepen their faith, trust in our Lord, and prepare to meet Jesus before going to their eternal home.
