The Face of Christ

When I began my journey toward healing, God placed some very faithful and holy people in my path. They taught me how to pray and to open my heart to God. A couple of them asked what image came to mind when I thought of Jesus. At the time I didn’t have any one image in particular. A priest told me to look at images of Jesus and find one that touched my heart because it would make Him more real to me. There are so many images of Jesus but there wasn’t the connection I was hoping for when looking at them. Fr. told me to pray about it. A few days later I was in the library at Mt. Carmel Center and came across this picture of Christ. It was on a 3.5 x 4.5 card with words in Spanish on the back. I didn’t know what the words meant but I knew this was the image that I had prayed for. Jesus’ eyes penetrated my heart and love and peace poured forth from the picture. I asked Fr. Stephen if he would mind if I kept it. He said that he didn’t know where it came from and, yes, I could keep it. I knew it was a gift from God.

I was able to translate the words on the back and will share a few with you. It is titled, Mensaje de Jesús, Message of Jesus. Avoid the worries and anxieties and thoughts about what might happen next. Do not spoil my plans, wanting to impose your ideas. Let me be God and act freely. Rest in me… often tell me, ‘Jesus, I trust in you’… and you will see miracles.

I needed a beautiful image of Christ to connect more deeply with him and God answered my prayer. The words on the card were just another reassurance that it was from God because he knows how anxious my heart can get and is calling me to trust in him.