Encountering Jesus on the move

We recently celebrated the closing of the diocesan phase of the Synod on the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, June 25.

The Gospel recounts how Mary and Joseph were looking for 12-year-old Jesus. This is one of the first examples of people looking for Jesus in the Scriptures. The Boy Jesus had been missing three days when he was eventually found in the Temple. In the Gospel, we find other occasions of people finding Jesus.

Later during Jesus’ ministry, the disciples would ask “Where did the Lord go?” “¿Dónde se fue el Señor?” This question compelled them to go looking, and they found him – just like Mary and Joseph. A pattern for being a disciple of Jesus emerges. At times, Jesus would disappear for the purpose of animating his disciples to discover him in new places.

Even Mary had to go out and find Jesus. Upon finding Jesus in the temple, Mary asks, “Son, why have you done this to us?” Jesus’ response is very important. “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Rather than a criticism of Mary, Jesus reminds her that his mission is from the Father. In the encounter with Jesus, Mary learned something. If Mary, the supreme example of following Jesus, could learn something, so can we. The Lord extends his presence and his teaching exactly through his moving. He moves and we have to move with him. We constantly ask, “Where are you, Jesus?”

His response today is not a new one. The Lord responds, “I am present in my people, I am present in the forgotten, I am present in the suffering. I am present in those that have no voice. If you want to find me, come and look for me in those spaces.” This is a constant call to the disciples then as it is to us now. This is especially important to us in this time in history. We become comfortable and do not move. But Jesus moves, and we must get up and move to find him. The greatest desire of a disciple is to find Jesus.

Our recent experience of the diocesan phase of the synod reminded us of that. Our listening sessions invited people to share their experiences and insights about God and the Church. To do so, parishes and ministries had to go out and find creative ways to engage people. As Pope Francis says, the synodal path is not just a moment but a way of life. This way of life is a style of looking for Jesus in the places we may not be used to finding him.

In this way, we look for Jesus in his people. We invite the Holy Spirit to move our hearts to take the first step – much like the disciples in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13). The first step is the hardest one to take – since many enjoy sitting comfortably. We need to recognize that this moment in history reminds us that the Church cannot remain seated. We must go out to listen to the voice of the Lord with a discerning ear.

While we may not have much, we offer all we have to the Lord. Like St. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 3:6). There is a great treasure in inviting another to encounter the Lord. Our current culture is much about being on your own and doing it alone (Cada uno por su lado, no me importa), but it is not the style of Jesus. Jesus did not treat people that way.

There is a moment to go out. A moment to listen. To feel the sorrow and the joy. To learn anew how to genuinely lend an ear. When Jesus would encounter someone in need of healing, he would ask them, “What do you want? What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus wanted to hear the human voice. In our culture today, it is all too often, we do not want to hear the voice of another except our own. Jesus was the first to ask, “What can I do for you?” This is the style of Jesus and the Church. This is the synodal way of looking for Jesus.

Jesus twice told us where he would be – when he gave us the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Mt 26:26–28; Mk 14:22–24; and Lk 22:17–20), and preaching on our care for the most vulnerable (Mt 25:31-46). In the Holy Eucharist, the Lord is made manifest. He is present in his Body and Blood. In Matthew 25, Jesus is also clear in his teaching, saying, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” – to me! He identifies precisely with the outcast, the sick, the forgotten, and the poor.

So, if we want to find the Lord, we know where he is at. We need the gift of the Holy Spirit to move us to touch him. The baptized are called to participate in this missionary action as part of their discipleship. Each person has a unique reach and access to the people around them that no one else has. That responsibility to lend a hand or a listening ear is a sign of Christian identity. We embrace this style of living to encounter and find Christ present in the other.

The Gospel reading on the Boy Jesus lost in the temple concludes with Lk 2:19. “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Diosito hace cosas muy grandes a través del corazón de María – God does many great things through the Heart of Mary. Mary kept all these things in her heart. She pondered the way to meet Jesus in the new place, This teaches us something. This tells us that as members of the Body of Christ, as sons and daughters of Mary, we should find ways to keep these things in our heart. Through Adoration, moments of silence, service to the most in need. The Lord wants to teach us, and we must be willing to move and listen. This path and way of life is one that opens up with every step. As long as the Lord is with us, we need nothing else. Look for him and find him.