Celebrating the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord this past weekend made me think of this prayer that I say every morning: “Here I am, Lord, you called me; I come to do your will.” In offering that prayer, upon awakening, I am PRESENTING myself to the Lord each and every day. I place myself at his disposal and through it I am reminded of my place in this world: to be a humble servant of the Lord. This simple prayer each day re-orders my thinking, reminds me of my purpose in life and enables me to surrender my plans to the Lord, so that I can serve him instead of hoping he serves me and what I want.
In the Collect (Opening Prayer) for Mass for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we prayed this: “Almighty, ever-living God…just as your Only Begotten Son was presented in the Temple… so by your grace, we may be PRESENTED to you with minds made pure.” On the day when the Lord returns, we will all stand before Him, when “he will come to judge the living and the dead.” How each of us, personally, will be presented to the Lord on that day will depend on our adherence to God’s Holy Will.
Whether we are aware of it or not, in reality we are often more focused on how “presentable” we are to the view and opinion of others in this world than we are to the Lord. We strive to “present ourselves” as intelligent, competent, in with the times, contemporary and socially connected. We spend a lot of energy being up on the latest whatever – so we can fit in, socially. The news is full of new terms, the latest jargon of our culture. Using these terms correctly reflects whether or not we are “with the times.” Words like “gaslighting,” “doxing,” “influencers,” “virtue signaling,” and more. We scrutinize one another on everything from what we wear to how we speak. Being “presentable” in these terms takes a great deal of energy and is, frankly, exhausting. Why? Because we’re chasing after an image and the good opinion of others, thus enslaved, not being free enough to be ourselves.
When we strive to be presentable to the Lord, the importance of human praise begins to fade. To be sure, when we focus on being “holy and righteous in God’s sight” we become more aware of how unnatural, exhausting and empty life is when we chase after human opinion. Making ourselves presentable to the Lord brings with it some sacrifice. Being misunderstood, exclusion and being ostracized, is the way the world deals with those who no longer chase after its empty priorities. We might take some time this week to notice how subtle but frequent are our attempts to look good to others and be “presentable” in the court of public opinion.
Rather, the focus of our time and energy should be on pleasing the Lord, serving him generously and trusting in his reward for our faithfulness. If we “present” ourselves to the Lord each day as his humble servants, like our Blessed Mother, Mary, then on the day he comes in glory we will be presented to him with minds made pure. This is why I pray the “Surrender Novena” continuously. Rather than presume that I am ready to be presented to the Lord, I pray for the grace to be purified of any attachment to sin.
We often worry about anything that would “tarnish our image” before others. What about the serious stains that tarnish the white garment of our baptism – that is our souls? If we would never present ourselves to others with serious stains on our clothing or in tattered clothes at a formal event, how is it that we would dare to allow our souls to be presented to the Lord in an appearance all the more hideous. While there is nothing more glorious than a soul purified by the sacramental grace of a thorough confession of our sins, there is nothing more disgusting than a soul that has neglected the mercy of God.
So how will you present yourself before the Lord at his coming? This Jubilee Year is a great opportunity to prepare for that day when it comes. Take advantage of the plenary indulgences that we can obtain for ourselves and for others this year. A plenary indulgence (from the Latin, plenus, meaning full) is the full remission (cancellation) of our time in purgatory up to this date in our lives. By entering the Cathedral through the Holy Door, or another designated Church in the diocese and while there, fulfilling the conditions for the plenary indulgence, and then or soon after receiving the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion, one may present themselves to the Lord with renewed integrity. Thus, we can live in hope for the coming of the Lord.
This Jubilee year is a grace-filled time to take stock of our lives, examine how we present ourselves before others and consider how “presentable” we are to the Lord. Thus, may we strive to present our lives to the Lord with minds and hearts made pure!
