The Reality of the Hidden Jesus

Last Sunday night my family and I were watching Fr. Mike Schmitz’s 2015 FOCUS talk “The Hour that Will Change Your Life” on YouTube. I had seen it before, but had missed something that really stuck with me this — something that answered a prayer which had been banging away in my heart and mind. The talk is about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist...the hidden Jesus. Like most of you, I pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to me, that I may hear His voice, that I may know His direc.ve for me -- it’s mostly about me actually. Well, maybe also like most of you, I don’t hear Him, or see Him, or witness His hand on my shoulder telling me which way to go... and I begin to lose faith. I wonder, “Does He really see my life?” But what Fr. Mike talks about in that video is that Christ hides Himself in the Eucharist so that we won’t hide ourselves. He hides so we will draw close to Him...and He can love us. If Christ appeared in all His glory, what would I do? Probably fall on my face, terrified, and try to slink away...because I still do not know in my deepest being His love for me. Because I still hold on to my unworthiness...again and attachment to myself. But this is not what Jesus wants for you or for me. He hides Himself, in the Eucharist, in the Sacraments, in the priest, in your neighbor, in your brother or sister, in your professor, or colleague, in creation, in every element of our lives so that He can draw close to us and we will not flee ...so that He can love us. It has always been about love. He knows the deepest longing in our hearts; He created our hearts to be joined with His in love. He answered my prayer that night through Fr. Mike’s video. I wanted to see and hear Him, and He showed me that His love is everywhere in my life, hidden, seeing me, loving me, sustaining me. His love and presence cannot be stopped, it permeates all things, and He longs for you to know His love. I do not see Jesus but I know His presence and love is in all things, the present moment of your life, and that He is loving you. Just receive it.