He knew my pain. He knew my resistance.

After a tough day at school, a scuffle with one of my brothers or a disagreement with my parents, I found it comforting to look into that face of Jesus.

During a difficult exam period of my seminary days, I put my head down on my desk and just wanted to stop studying. It had been a long two weeks, and I was worn down. I felt Jesus tell me at that moment, “It is in these moments that you give great consolation to my heart.” 

He knew my pain, He knew my resistance — but He also knew how important moments like these would be for my future priesthood. 

It mattered to Jesus, and this made it matter to me. I found a second reserve of energy to go a little harder and longer because of this powerful inspiration. 

Related: ‘Most People Ignore Me: Is God Real?’

Jesus is not an angel or a pure spirit. He took on our human nature, and He has a heart — a big heart. When life gets hard, try leaning into that heart; allow the love from His heart to touch and console you.

And allow that merciful love to gently touch each and every person you meet along the way as well. 

Fr. Michael Sliney is a Catholic priest based in the New York City area and an adviser to the Lumen Institute, a professional business group.