Keeping Our Eyes on Christ

In the novel In This House of Brede, a famous sculptor has carved a statue of Our Lady of Peace for a women’s monastery. Mary is holding the infant Jesus, and the statue is described this way: “The Baby looked out with eyes that saw far, while hers saw only Him.”

Because we are immersed in the day-to-day challenges of our lives, it is difficult for us to see far. However, Christ has the vision that we lack—the understanding that we are all interconnected, we all belong to each other. As Cynthia Bourgeault puts it, Christ “sees no separation—not between God and humans, not between humans and other humans.”

Other than the mystics, most humans see God as separate from themselves. Our belief in that separation makes it difficult for us to know the true God, so out of fear we often create an image of God as remote, demanding, and judging. We also see other humans as separate from us, which makes it easier for us to exclude, exploit, and judge them.

We may not yet be able to see as Christ sees, but when we follow Mary’s example and keep our eyes on Christ, our awareness and attention will be focused on the One who can lead us to the truth and fullness of life. Then, our external circumstances will no longer consume us. As St. Paul says, “I know indeed how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Colossians 4: 12-13).

The prayer of St. Patrick makes this invocation: “Christ be ever before me, Christ be ever behind me, Christ be ever within.” When we keep our eyes on Christ, we will find peace and have the confidence to say with St. Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”