Grace Curtis
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One of the things my parents avidly instilled in me was to make eye contact when speaking to someone. Eyes directly display people’s emotions; you can tell almost exactly what someone is thinking just by seeing how their eyes and facial expressions change. It also shows respect because you are physically displaying how much you care about the other person’s words and presence. Plus, have you ever just looked into someone’s eyes and been totally fascinated by their beauty? Not only are the colors completely unique and intricate, but you can also see the person’s story hidden in the reflection of their gaze. It is so amazing just to watch someone talk about their passions because their eyes light up. God took time creating each person’s eyes because He intended for them to connect the world; eyes are like the watercolors God painted in each person to give them totally unique beauty. But wait just one second! if eyes are so great, why do people have a hard time looking at each other directly?
When you lie to someone, do you look them in the eye? If you’re sitting there saying you have never told a lie, you are lying to yourself! Really think about it… or maybe think about when someone lied to you. People avoid the eyes because 1) they know their sinfulness will show behind their own eyes and 2) they can’t handle seeing someone’s expression while they break the bond of trust. Now, flash forward to when the people figure out you lied and you couldn’t bear to see their tearful eyes. The world’s greatest pains and suffering are hidden behind hurt eyes. It is so powerful and intense that weak people can’t bring themselves to see the pain they caused. This causes a fear of eye contact, stemming from a deeper wound of broken trust and burned connections. People with emotional scars fear that if someone looks directly into their eyes they will see that not everyone has perfect story or has everything all together. Raw and unapologetic truth, God’s holy and essential Truth, is packaged in the eyes of each and every person you encounter.
The saints have countless writings on the power of Christ’s loving gaze. Archbishop Fulton Sheen reflected on the Eucharist and said “We become like that which we gaze upon. Looking into a sunset, the face takes on a golden glow. Looking at our Eucharistic Lord for an hour transforms the heart in a mysterious way” (Sheen, 198). Saint Francis of Assisi loved the way the gaze of Christ never failed to transform hearts, whether it be the infant Jesus or his selfless body hanging on the cross. Francis himself wouldn’t have been converted if he didn’t meet Christ’s eyes when He was on the cross. If you are searching for answers, if you are dying to know Christ, if you just can’t seem to grow closely intimate with Christ, then I beg you to fall down on your knees in Adoration and gaze at our Lord in the Eucharist. I promise you that you will find Him waiting to return your searching looks with a gentle gaze of Love and Truth.
That, my dear brothers and sisters, is the very connector of all relationships! When you look someone in the eyes, even if they are a stranger, you have two options: 1) you could awkwardly pull out your phone to look away and pretend to get a text or 2) you could take that chance to share Christ’s love in your heart with each person you meet. Which person will you be? What – and WHO - will you fix your gaze on? The decision is completely yours.
Your eyes tell your story, they give people a little window into your special, beautiful soul. You are special and there is power in you to quench the thirsting, searching gaze of the world.
Your Sister in Christ