Looking at Jesus

Pondering advice she once gave to her young child, AnneMarie Miller offers practical ways to focus on God as we begin this new year.

I tried to listen to the readings and prayers at Mass while my preschooler squirmed in my arms and talked incessantly. I took a breath and looked at her in the eyes, hoping to redirect her focus. “Look at Jesus,” I whispered. “Jesus loves you so much.”   

As soon as I said these words, I realized that they weren’t just for her — they were for me, too.   

Losing my Focus  

Quite often, I hold tightly onto my own plans. When my ideas are disrupted by sickness, a cranky baby, or an overtired preschooler, I grow frustrated and keep trying to stick with my original plan. I hyperfocus on this mission, and in doing so, I forget Who I should be focusing on. God, in His mercy and love, is right there in front of me — but my focus wavers, and I can only see my disrupted schedule or my incomplete goals.   

In those moments, I need to live out what I encouraged my preschooler to do. I need to look at Jesus and receive His love.   

Looking at Jesus as the Living Room Erupts  

Recently, I looked across the living room and winced as I saw the eruption of toys, laundry, blankets, and books that scattered across the floor. Instead of being able to stick with my plans for that day (which involved resting and homeschooling my young kids in an orderly home), I would need to orchestrate a massive cleanup operation. Just as I started to give in to the feelings of frustration that arose, my gaze shifted from the mess to a nearby bookshelf, where an icon of the Transfiguration rested against the wall.   

I stopped and looked at that icon, focusing my gaze on Jesus in His glory, and let the message to my preschooler come back to me:   

Look at Jesus. Jesus loves you so much.  

My heart was refreshed and I launched into the rest of the day with greater joy as I stopped holding tightly onto my own plans and focused on Jesus and His will.  

Living in His Gaze  

Although this message is simple, living it out can be challenging. Here are a few ways in which I try to look at Jesus and receive His love, especially when life with small children feels chaotic:   

Pause and take a breath.

I can respond to my children and situations much better if I slow the adrenaline and take a breath, so unless someone is in imminent danger, I try to remember to take just a moment to be quiet.   

Create focal points around the home.

If there’s a piece of religious artwork that resonates with you, put it in a place where you can look at it regularly throughout the day. My icon of the Transfiguration rests on the living room bookcase (except when my children move it) and even if I just look at it briefly, that glance becomes a prayer and a way to refocus my day on God.   

Pair prayer with specific times.

The Liturgy of the Hours and the Angelus are prayers which help us turn to God repeatedly throughout the day. However, even if we’re drowning in the chaos of life with small children and can’t offer those prayers, we can still find a way to inject prayer in different parts of the day. For example, at 3 PM, you can stop and offer a short prayer of thanksgiving for Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.  

As we begin this new year with fresh planners and goals, let’s remember to keep God at the forefront of our lives. When our plans get disrupted or we start basing our worth off of how much we can accomplish, let’s stop and remember:   

Look at Jesus. Jesus loves you so much. 

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 AnneMarie Miller
Images: Canva