I am Searching
for the Lord’s Face

My soul is thirsting for God, the God of life. When will I be able to see the Lord’s face?

I will go to the Lord’s house, the temple of His glory; He will purify me and show me His face.

You support me, Lord; you set me before your face. My soul will praise you always, for you are so great, my Lord and my God!

To know God is the basic vocation of every man. “Man is constantly in search of the Absolute, in search of God. The hunger for God, a hunger that is not always identified, overwhelms man’s mind and heart in spite of himself. Then, he looks about for or chases after substitutes, sometimes noble, sometimes ignoble, but after having eaten of them, is hungrier than before.” (Pope Paul VI)

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
From the evil one, protect me.

At the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you
Forever and ever. Amen

Let us contemplate the Lord’s face, and let us implore Him to transform us into His image.

O only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, we contemplate the glory that shines from your face, you who have been with the Father from all eternity. The world does not know you and the darkness resists you, but grant that those who have received you may share in your fulness. You who live among us, O Word full of grace, teach us the truth, transform us into your image. To you all glory, O holy Father; praise to your Son, with the consoling Spirit, everywhere and for ever and ever. Amen.

“Since the Virgin Mary is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls searching for the Lord’s face must pass to find him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life.” (Cf. “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin”, no. 50 e.)

“No one can say: ‘I have searched for the Lord and not found Him.’ He is easily accessible to those who love Him. Those who look for Him find Him without difficulty. He even anticipates those who desire to see Him and shows Himself to those who seek Him.” (Sr. Marie Rivier)

In a spirit of recollection, let us listen to the Lord speak to us in this passage drawn from the book of the prophet Isaiah.(Is 41-43)

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior.”

I am yours, O Lord my God, my Creator, my Savior!

“I am the Lord, your God, who grasps your right hand; It is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you,’ for I am the Holy One of Israel, your savior. ”

I am yours, O Lord my God, my Creator, my Savior!

“When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown, for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior.”

I am yours, O Lord my God, my Creator, my Savior!

“If you hope in me, I will restore your strength; I will make you run tirelessly and walk without fatigue, for I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior.”

I am yours, O Lord my God, my Creator, my Savior!

“Because you are precious in my eyes, because you are honored, and I LOVE YOU; because you bear my name and because I created you for MY GLORY.”

I am yours, and I LOVE YOU, O Lord my God, my Creator, my Savior!

To know God does not mean possessing an idea of God. It means letting oneself be met by SOMEONE who takes over our entire intimacy. To know God is to search for His face in meditation and prayer. Prayer is an explicit seeking of God’s face.

To contemplate Jesus Christ’s face in the secrecy of prayer is to receive the revelation of a Presence, the revelation of Love; it is learning to let oneself be loved by Him, learning to live in His intimacy. It is tasting true happiness.

Jesus’ true face is revealed through meditation and prayer.

A face of kindness,
A face of peace,
A face of tenderness.

A face which nothing astonishes,
A face that never condemns,
A face that understands.

A face that waits, welcomes, smiles.

The face of Jesus bending over the poor,
the lowly, the sick, the sinners.
The face of Jesus welcoming little children.

The face of Jesus soothing pain, calming distress.
The face of Jesus in agony.
The face of Jesus in prayer.

Show us your face, Lord, and we will be saved.

The contemplation of the face of Jesus Christ leads us to a close, intimate and lasting relationship with Him. He who has looked upon Jesus at length, who knows that he was sought after and is loved by Him has become initiated to the mystery of Christ’s person. The Lord is Someone for him and he resolutely becomes His companion in ventures, His confident, His friend, His disciple.

To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a participant in His destiny, to live of His life. It means recognizing that He is living today, acknowledging that He is living in me, living around me. It means seeing Jesus Christ in any and all events whether they are bearers of joy or suffering.

To be a disciple of Jesus is to live according to the demands of the Gospel. Therefore, let us implore the Lord Jesus that He Himself may be our fidelity.

Lord, we wish to reiterate to you our sincere desire to work for the spreading of your Kingdom of love through Mary, your Holy Mother.

“Stay with me, Lord,
and do no go any further.
That unique moment when I met you
is still so very close at hand,
when you seemed to be waiting while I searched for you.
You have not told me everything,
and I would so like to get to know you a little better.
Teach me to be always a little more like you,
so that through me, all men may meet you. Amen.”
(F. Chagneau)