about face
"Jesus set His face to go to Jerusalem." —Luke 9:51, our translation
Like Ezekiel, Jesus made His face "like diamond, harder than flint" (Ez 3:9). Like Jeremiah, Jesus was "a Pillar of iron, a Wall of brass, against the whole land" (Jer 1:18). Like Isaiah, Jesus set His "face like flint" (Is 50:7).
No matter how vehemently Satan raged and convulsed, Jesus had set His face. He would do only His Father's will. No matter how unfaithful and sinful His apostles were, Jesus had set His face. He would die for them and us anyway. No matter how crushing was the weight of our sins (see Is 53:5, 10), Jesus would not come down from the cross. No matter how marred and shredded was Jesus' face "beyond that of man, and His appearance beyond that of mortals" (Is 52:14), Jesus had set what was left of His face. He would not stop loving us.
Jesus' face was set for love — even to death on the cross. Seek His face (e.g. 2 Chr 7:14). Set your face to see Him face to face (1 Cor 13:12).
Prayer: Father, give me the love that conquers all.
Promise: "I too will go to seek the Lord." —Zec 8:21
Praise: St. Wenceslaus, ruler of Germany, lived such a visible life of faith in Jesus that his opponents charged him with being more suited for a monastery than a throne.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, February 22, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 24, 1999