THE PICTURE OF JESUS

The original image of this picture of Jesus appeared in October of 1982, when Jackie Haas was using her 110 Kodak Instamatic camera, taking various shots on a pilgrimage in the Holy Land. When she returned home to Scranton, Pennsylvania, she had her film developed and this image was found in her group of pictures. She thought that someone else's picture had gotten mixed up with hers, as she told her husband that she didn't take the picture or even remember seeing a picture like it. After checking the negatives, there it was on her strip of negatives. Being confused, she took the picture to the priest who had been on the pilgrimage with them and he stated that he had been in the Holy Land many times and had never seen this picture there. It was then shown to another priest in her area, who had traveled and studied in the Holy Land and he also said he had never come across such a picture. Jackie then took the picture to the Travel Agency and they brought it with them to New York to people who study paintings and fresco's and they stated that this picture was not in the Holy Land. Jackie returned three times to the Holy Land after receiving this picture, and each year searched and asked everyone in different areas there as to where this picture might be and no one knew.

The story of the picture started to spread when many of her friends, knew how far and wide her search was taking her and with no answers being found. Jackie and her husband, Secular Franciscans, felt the beauty of the picture and wanted to share it with other people. They began to have prints made and gave them out resulting in many beautiful things happening, even though they never told the story behind the picture. Jackie said she hesitated telling the story because she wanted the picture investigated more thoroughly. It was all mind boggling to her since she could never remember taking the picture and how could one forget taking a picture so beautiful. This picture is now all over the world - Jackie wants it spread, not out of curiosity of where it came from but the picture itself. "He is a portrait of love. It shows in this picture." The Haas' main mission as lay apostles was to bring Christ to people through this photo. Jackie does not make claims that it is a miraculous photo, but the peace that it has brought to thousands is truly the miracle.

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