I recently had the opportunity to accompany a friend of mine as he went through an angiogram procedure to check the conditions of his heart. Before the procedure he was distressed. Worried about what they might find, if he needed stents, open-heart surgery, or worst-case, not have much longer to live.
The first thing he did to prepare, was to ask a priest to anoint him. The anointing of the sick is a beautiful sacrament we Catholics can receive. Through it Jesus wipes us clean of all our sin and can physically heal us. His grace gives us a clear mind, peaceful heart, and calm spirit knowing that no matter what happens next, we’re going to be ok.
Through the day long procedure at the hospital, my friend was well cared for. The nurses, and the doctor (Doctor “Nice” we nicknamed him because of his bright smile and very caring attitude) understood his anxiety and treated him with a great deal of compassion keeping him calm, knowing he was in the hands of people who really cared.
In the Gospel of John (Jn 9:1-41), there is a very long story of the healing of a blind man. The man was cast out of the synagogue, accused by the Pharisees of being a disciple of Jesus. In the middle of that story, are these words, “When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him” (Jn 9:35). Three words are good news for us, He found him.
Like the man cured of blindness, Jesus continually searches for and finds us where we are. He finds us through those around us who love and care for us. Jesus found my friend through a priest, a sacrament, nurses, Doctor Nice, and friends who accompanied him in a time of worry. If we take time to notice in our times of loneliness, distress, and even in our routine life, we will know when Jesus finds us.
Sometimes though we don’t notice. Working too much, focusing on wealth, success, spending too much time on social media, and busyness, even busyness doing good works, can leave us little time to recognize Jesus. Even though he never stops searching for us, it’s like we’re running away from him.
We can stop running by fasting, not just from certain foods, but from those things that occupy all our time and keep us from noticing the presence of Jesus in our daily life.
We can stop running by praying. Intentionally setting aside about 15 minutes at the end of every day to pause, and recall the events, the people you were with, and your feelings, you become more and more aware of the ways in which Jesus has been present throughout the day to comfort, care for, and love you, especially through the kind words and actions of others. He found you.
So, if life seems a little messy right now, if you’re feeling a little lonely, distressed, or even a little blah, like no one really cares, the things you do seem burdensome and meaningless, have faith in the fact Jesus is searching for and will find you where you are. And when you meet him there, you will be able to reply as the blind man in the Gospel story did, “I do believe” (Jn 9:38).