“Thy face, Lord, do I seek.”
It struck me recently how often we see people seeking our Lord throughout the Gospels. The wise men and the shepherds. Mary and Joseph searching for Jesus in the temple. Bartimaeus crying out from the roadside. The Greek Jews asking to see Jesus. The crowds still looking for Him after the multiplication of the loaves and fish. The healing of the paralytic.
There are times when our Lord seeks us and of course, He is always seeking us. But these stories show us the other side: the effort, the activity, the determination required on our part. It is not enough to sit back and wait for Him to come knocking, though He will. We are called to seek Him. To seek His face.
And what happens when we do? That can vary.
Sometimes those who seek are immediately rewarded. They find Him, and He heals them, answers them, meets them exactly where they are. Other times, He receives us in a way we didn’t expect. Think of Jesus’ relatives coming to find Him, and His response: “Who are my mother and my brothers? Those who do the will of my Father.” That’s not dismissive. Our Lord is imparting wisdom that is truer and deeper than what they came looking for.
Seek the Lord. Put in the effort. Go to Him. And then see what He has in store.
It might not always look the way we imagined. But it is always worthwhile.
Let us pray. Lord, help us to seek Your face, persistently, actively, and with open hands for whatever You have in store. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Keep fighting the good fight. Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
