Overall Takeaways

We often have psychological barriers to recognizing Our Lord. Learn how to identify and remove things such as grudges, old assumptions, and memories that tend to distort how we see and understand Jesus.

Key Verses from Sunday Mass Readings

“The word of God continued to spread,
and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;
even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”

“You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises’ of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

“Thomas said to him,
‘Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?’
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”

“Philip said to him,
‘Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you for so long a time
and you still do not know me, Philip?’”

Where Catholicism Meets Psychology

We’ve had a theme of trying to recognize Jesus in recent Sunday readings: story of Thomas, the road to Emmaus, and the sheep recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd. Do we recognize Jesus in our life?

When Thomas asks Jesus to show them the way, Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life. That implies an intimate relationship with Jesus.

The early Christians recognized Christ in the holiness of those among them. They didn’t become Christians because of their learning or intelligence; they were chosen as leaders because of their love for one another and for non-Christians.

We often have a failure of the faculty of imagination. We are not open to possibilities that are beyond our limited vision. We need to be able to visualize how to let go of the filters that block our clear vision of who Christ is for us.

Action Plan for the Week

Participate in this week’s exercise designed to help you identify psychological obstacles to recognizing Jesus. Things like grudges, old assumptions, memories, resentment, and a lack of a providential worldview can be like sheets of distorted glass in front of us, which warps our perspective and relationship with Christ.