Have you ever longed to see someone’s face so much so that your heart aches? I’m talking about the kind of painful longing that a mother feels when she is separated from her children, or the pain of lovers who are separated for a period of time. I think, too, of soldiers who are far from their loved ones during war or my friend, Santos, who spent 28 years in prison, and saw his mother only once during all those years.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, we often hear God’s people crying out, “When, O Lord, will we see your face? We long to see your face.” Moses, if you remember, frequently had to hide his face when he found himself in the presence of God, for fear that he would die” (Ex 3:6; 33:20). The People of Israel lived with this longing in their hearts for centuries. What does it feel like to long to see God’s face with deep passion and love, greater even than the most intense human love we have ever experienced?
In a couple of weeks, as Advent flows into the great celebration of the Incarnation of God’s Word, we will hear about some shepherds who lived in the hills around Bethlehem. As amateur astrologers, they had some familiarity with the nighttime stars. But they were expert contemplatives, friends of the nighttime silence, and they knew how to listen to the voice of God. When Christmas Eve arrives, we will find the shepherds running down from the hills towards the village of Bethlehem – their hearts on fire! Having heard the angel’s words, they now long to see this joyful event with their own eyes! They long to see the face of God. Their lives will never be the same! Nor will ours!
The “Final Message” from the 2008 Synod on the Word of God said this:
“The eternal and divine Word enters into space and time and takes on a human face and identity, so much so that it is possible to approach him directly asking, as did the group of Greeks present in Jerusalem: "We should like to see Jesus" (Jn 12:20-21). Words without a face are not perfect, they do not fully complete the encounter…”[1]
We, as disciples of Jesus, are invited into that perfect encounter with God’s Word, the profound, contemplative encounter with Jesus. St. Augustine, who was passionately in love with God, prayed: “Oh Lord, my heart will always be restless until it rests in you!” As our Advent pilgrimage continues, let us give our hearts some time to feel deeply and burn with love for the Word who comes to be with us.
[1] “Final Message to the People of God,” from the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church, 2008, #4.
