Where do we see Jesus?

In the start of today’s Gospel, some Greeks said to Philip, “We would like to see Jesus!” In my priesthood, I’ve been asked that many times, from little children asking what does Jesus look like, to teenagers questioning their faith, to adults wondering if God is really present in our world with all the bad things that are going on. None of these people wanted a theological or Biblical discourse. In answering their question, I start with a question for them: What does Jesus look like? You’re not going to see him, if you don’t know what He looks like. So I say to them, show them what Jesus looks like. The kids drew pictures of Jesus praying or helping someone. The teens spoke of him as a parent, either telling them what to do or what not to do. The adults, more often than not, see him in a role of forgiveness. So where do we see Jesus? Look around you, not through your eyes, but through faith. See him in the Eucharist we celebrate each week, a person praying, another maybe crying or even a young mother exasperated by a crying child. See him in the neighborhood as someone needing some help or even directions. See him at home in a child having problems in school or with their peers. You want to see Jesus, then be Jesus for them. Be caring, welcoming, tend to another’s needs. The resulting kindness will be seeing Jesus.