Seeking God’s Face

By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

I was recently perusing a Catholic gift shop and came upon a beautiful little statue that grabbed my attention, and I bought it. It depicts a beautiful angel, holding Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him.” (Lk 22:43) Jesus is resting in the angel’s arms. Looking at this statue reminds me that I too have an angel watching over me, an angel sent by God to take care of me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father." (Mt 18:10)

In times of darkness, desolation or temptation, my heart echoes the words from Psalm 42: “My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?” And an echo returns from the deep saying: “Come, …Seek his face.” (Ps 27:8) “Seek and you will find.” (Mt 7:7) Where can we find the face of God? In the same place the holy guardian angels see Him…in each one of us. “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40) We must get out of ourselves and look to those God has placed around us. It is in their faces that we will see Jesus hungry, naked, lonely. And when our eyes meet, and they see the face of Jesus in ours, the echoes from the depth of our hearts will meet. In that moment, as we share from our own brokenness, we will recognize Him, as the disciples in Emmaus did, in the breaking of the bread (Lk 24:35).

As a mother, most of the times, those around me are my children. I need to meet their needs, but I often fall short. Thank God for their guardian angels! Only God knows how many times they’ve interceded and filled in the gaps my human weaknesses have left open; or how many times they have whispered in my children’s ears the lessons we have taught them. I have often thought of the day I get to meet my children’s guardian angels in Heaven, and my heart bursts with gratitude. And then I think of my guardian angel, and my heart swells with love for God. Love for a Father, whose love is so exaggerated, so overflowing, so ever present, that everywhere I look, I see His reflection. Everywhere I turn, I see His Face.