Feast of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist
In today’s first reading, we get a glimpse of the intimate relationship that Saint John had with Jesus. John’s words, “…what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands,” express a closeness to God that most of us could only dream of. I must confess that when I read this, there is a part of me that feels a bit jealous. Why can’t I have that same experience of God? Of course, the truth is I can. After all, God is present in every person I encounter, if I am just willing to take the time to get close to them. This is one of the great privileges of working for Catholic Charities. We have ample opportunities to encounter people on a personal level. However, it is also one of the great challenges because too often, in the midst of our busyness, we can find ourselves ignoring the person in front of us while we consider the many other tasks and responsibilities that we have to complete that day. Or we might close our eyes to Christ in the person before us because of their outward appearance or their demeanor or their behavior. All of us can have the level of intimacy with Jesus that Saint John did. Jesus is present every day if we are simply willing to see him. As we enter a new year, perhaps all of us can recommit to drawing closer to the people in our lives and see in them the face of Christ. Peter Weiss has been the Living Justice Advocate with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay since 2017. Peter’s role is to promote justice and Catholic Social Teaching throughout the Diocese of Green Bay.
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