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{"id":3613,"date":"2003-12-03T04:19:00","date_gmt":"2003-12-03T04:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/evetushnet\/2003\/12\/3613\/"},"modified":"2003-12-03T04:19:00","modified_gmt":"2003-12-03T04:19:00","slug":"3613","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/evetushnet\/2003\/12\/3613.html","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u201cJESUS IN DISTRESSING DISGUISE\u201d<\/strong>: That\u2019s how Mother Teresa described the poor she served. But it\u2019s also a key to understanding the Catholic mind. So much of how we live is about what Aquinas\u2019s great hymn, \u201cPange Lingua<\/a>,\u201d captured in the phrase \u201csensuum defectui\u201d\u2013in my super-rough quasi-translation, \u201cwhat the senses cannot [do].\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark ch. 6<\/a> describes how the people of Jesus\u2019s own hometown did not recognize their Savior. It\u2019s maybe too easy to feel superior to these people\u2013how could they not recognize Jesus?<\/em> But it is so hard, really, to know ourselves<\/em>, let alone other people\u2013we are constantly confronted with Jesus in distressing disguise, and we constantly fail to see Him.<\/p>\n

Most obviously for Catholics, there\u2019s the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the Lord. (I suppose the Eucharistic miracles <\/a>are the equivalent of the Transfiguration, when the divinity behind the deceptive, plain human skin was revealed.)<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Jesus hidden in those in need.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Jesus hidden in those we have wronged. Azar Nafisi\u2019s Reading Lolita in Tehran<\/em> includes the acute line, \u201cOf course, all murderers and all oppressors have a long list of grievances against their victims, only most are not as eloquent as Humbert Humbert.\u201d It is so painful to acknowledge the reality of the people we harm.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Jesus hidden in the people who annoy us.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Jesus in the people who embarrass us.<\/p>\n

Really, there are so many unseen Christs\u2013we overlook Him every day.<\/p>\n

My cheery Advent thought, I guess.<\/p>\n

How to go to Confession<\/a>. (I believe in always ending a blog post with a practical tip, a la Hints from Heloise.) <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"