Deacon Andy Heinsohn was busy the first day CCL’s new Father Jack Jones food pantry opened to serve clients. He had more volunteers to corral than clients, but Pam Pusty was taking the lead on that. He moved from station to station. Were the volunteers busy? Did they feel appreciated? Was that our first client?

Over those first three hours deacon Andy interacted with nearly a dozen volunteers, seven clients, four reporters from local television stations, and a handful of staff who dropped by to see how it was going. When everyone else had left he checked the shelves, put away the last table, and locked the door. All in all it had been a good day. But had he seen the face of Jesus in those he served and worked with, he wondered.

He returned to his office for some time of quiet and contemplation. Mother Teresa was known for having said that she looked for the face of Jesus in all she served. Deacon Andy always looked for the same. Had he seen him?

He spent some moments in prayer and contemplation. He was grateful for the volunteers. Grateful for the opportunity. Pleased with the turnout. Happy that all went smoothly. He had, indeed, seen the face of Jesus, he understood. What he wondered now was in just how many ways had he seen him? Jesus as a servant to those in need? Jesus as a leader to those helping? Jesus as a hungry woman? Jesus as a storyteller?

Andy sat in silence a few more moments before he turned to the task of sorting paperwork and making notes from the day. He flipped open the intake book where the names of those served were listed. The very first name? Jesus. Jesus Hernandez.

“We look for huge things,” Deacon Andy said. “But there Jesus was, in the small things, in a line on an intake form.” What we’re doing here “is wonderful,” Deacon Andy said. And if you wonder about that on a particularly bad day, he said, just look for the face of Jesus. He’ll be there.