Gazing at the Face of Jesus

(This meditation was given to me by a Carmelite Missionary sister in a retreat I made with her. I share it here with some tweaks)

When the burden of feeling a victim to the injustice of others or to one's own sins is too much to bear, one cries out: Lord, have you abandoned me?

Behold, our Lord identifies with us in saving us! Let us look at this picture of the face of our Lord and meditate on the fourth song of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah:

...so marred was his look beyond that of man,

and his appearance beyond that of mortals...

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,

our sufferings that he endured,

while we thought of him as stricken,

as one smitten by God and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our offenses,

crushed for our sins;

upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,

by his stripes we were healed.

Prayer points:

1) I will look at the face of Jesus…I will let him gaze at me...What is it that he is saying to ME...What is it that I want to say in response...I will stay with it for as long as I feel I need to.

2) I will meditate on the words of the Prophet Isaiah (Is 52:13-53:12)...not rushing, but staying on the phrase or word that strikes me. How is the Lord speaking to me through the word or phrase? I will stay on this for as long as I feel I need to.

3) I will look again at the face of Jesus...I will look at his eyes as he looks at mine...I will stay this way and let this be my prayer.