Seeking His Face

A Reflection on the Psalm for March 13th, 2022:
​Second Sunday of Lent

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Psalm 27

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. 

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! 

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Throughout the Old Testament, we hear the people of God expressing their desire to see God in His fullness. Humanity lost the intimacy with God that was present before the Fall, and, with hearts that were made for Him, His children voiced their desire for that original unity to be restored. 


However, even the prophets, who were chosen and called into relationships of profound trust and privileged knowledge, could not see God without veils and mysterious signs. These visual manifestations, or “theophanies”, included angels and non-human forms like the burning bush, or pillars of fire and cloud. After a long journey with God, having led the Israelites for some time, Moses prayed and asked God, “Show me your glory”; God responded by affirming that He would show Moses His goodness and mercy, but said, “... you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live” (Exodus 33:18-20).


It is a strange and difficult concept for me to understand, but it speaks to God’s infinite power and divine nature that any human would perish in His pure presence. It calls for us to approach Him with reverence and holy fear; not because He is cruel, but rather, because He is so good, true, and beautiful that we cannot bear it in our broken state. Just as we would be instantly destroyed if we travelled too close to the sun.


Yet, God answered His people’s prayers and made a way. The Father sent Christ, His Son, to show us the face of God. 


Christ, our light, guides us in the dark and is our path to the Father. He nourishes our lives and fosters our growth, as plants thrive in sunlight. He warms and softens our hearts when they become cold and hardened like clay. He illumines our minds to grant us knowledge and wisdom, and to live in truth. He enables us to see God, others, and ourselves with clarity.


Christ, our salvation, knows our sin and all the ways we fall short and forgives us. He heals our wounds, and transforms our brokenness to make us new. He welcomes us to participate in His living sacrifice on the cross, and to receive life by His resurrection. He triumphs over evil and destroys death. He leads us to victory and freedom, and saves us.


Jesus removes the need for theophanies, because God fully reveals Himself to us in Christ. Although we cannot yet experience Jesus’ physical presence in the exact way people did in His earthly life, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us see His face. We will find Him in the Eucharist, in the Church, in strangers and friends, in children and those who are vulnerable, in prayer. Ask to see His eyes, His smile, His expressions as He looks at you. In His face, we will begin to know the joy of the beatific vision — of what God has in store for us in heaven. And it is very good.

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Kendra L.
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