In today’s Gospel, Jesus is a man of action as He intimately heals a woman by gently taking her hand. And yet, this tender gesture, powerfully brought her from "broken" to "wholeness." I am certain that the only Jesus that I will ever meet, here on earth, is the Jesus that I choose to see in others. Others have often taken my hand and restored me. The “demons”, life’s problems, that find their way into my life are often cast away by someone who imitates Jesus’ compassion and love for me. It would be a wonderful collection of “Good News” stories to hear how each of us came to know Jesus. I, like most, grew up in the Catholic church. My Mom, dressed all 5 of us kids in our “Sunday Best,” walked a few blocks to St. Francis of Assisi Church in Astoria, Queens and paraded us into a pew like soldiers. We stood, sat, kneeled and repeated. We knew that we best behave or else! My Dad, although raised a Catholic and Catholic-schooled his whole life, rarely attended mass with us. This always puzzled me. Yet, I didn’t dare question authority!

My little sins were “blots of guilt on my soul” until my next confession. Although I knew about Jesus, I did not know Jesus. I met Jesus in 8th grade. Someone told me that although I will never see Jesus walking on earth, I can see Him if I try to see Him in others. That’s when I personally began to follow Him with intrigue. I tried to find Jesus in others and astonishingly, He was there! That was my “aha” moment… my revelation … my epiphany… my enlightenment that set my faith into motion! I witnessed Jesus’ love in others through their kind words and deeds. The more I found Jesus in others, the more I became changed into His likeness and realized that Jesus dwells in me too! He’s my bridge between heaven and earth. I was becoming a Disciple of Jesus! He took hold of me only when I was ready to open my heart and let Him enter. When that miracle happened in my life, He filled me “with purpose” of what He wanted me to be in His name. Like the first disciples of Jesus, I saw a transition in my life as I journeyed with Him.

What followed? Countless opportunities to serve others in every area of my life, 36 years of marriage, 3 beautiful children, and an amazing ministry with Catholic teens that has spanned over 3 decades! That’s my story of how I came to know Jesus! How about you?