"Enjoy the Present" - Feast of the Presentation Homily

On this feast of the presentation, we can underscore the stem of that word, present, to see its different forms and importance.

Mary and Joseph were present to the Lord together.

They prayed together.

They must have had good marriage preparation.

It's something that should be emphasized more, including myself, in preparing couples for marriage.

The importance of praying together as a couple, how to do it.

Obviously, the greatest prayer is Mass.

But a little more than that, being present to the Lord.

So my last session with couples before their wedding, I bring them to the church for adoration.

And it really does bring them peace and calm with all the stress, anxiety, and excitement of the upcoming wedding.

But just picturing our situation

starting soon, hopefully, with our Adoration Chapel, that many married couples will be present to the Lord together, like Mary and Joseph.

Mary and Joseph were present to each other.

And to be present to the person in front of you doesn't mean just to be in attendance.

Doesn't mean just to be there physically.

And the other is not expecting that of you.

What the other is expecting you to be in attention, to be attentive, to be engaged, to be interested, an active listener.

And to live in the present is a big Catholic principle in our spirituality.

Not overlooking the present towards the future, fantasizing about a better situation or a better conversation, not focusing on other people or other things, but the person right in

front of you as God has put them there.

It's a beautiful spiritual approach to living.

To be present, to live in the present, not worrying about the past, letting go of the past through forgiveness and healing, not so anxious about the future that it's messing up your

present.

And you might miss life.

But to be there, first of all, and to be there in mind and heart.

To be attentive, not just in attendance.

Be present to your kids and your grandkids.

To be there in their lives, to be interested in their interests.

To be engaged.

You play such an important role in their lives.

Again, they expect you to be present.

and to know them and know what's going on in their lives.

This was the relationship between Mary and Joseph.

I mean, they had certainly a unique marriage preparation, very dramatic.

And then into marriage itself, this scene is 40 days after their son is born.

The drama continues.

And there they are together, present to the Lord, in the presence, capital P.

like Simeon and Anna.

I forgot to tell the deacon to read the long form.

We have a few things going on this morning.

But in the long form, we hear what Simeon says to Mary.

And we hear about Anna, who's always in the temple.

So Simeon and Anna were waiting their whole lives for this moment to be in the presence, capital P, real presence.

of the Savior, of God.

This is an opportunity we have every day right now in our church.

And hopefully the experience of adoration brings not just attendance but attention.

It's hard to not be attentive in closed area like a chapel.

But it's the same thing of being in an encounter with someone.

This is the person God has in front of me for a reason.

And when it's Jesus Christ, it opens up so many doors.

when coming to mass in the presence, not just taking up space in a pew, but being open.

Being open to what is being offered to you, what is being presented to you as you present yourself to God.

And really that's what our spiritual masters over the centuries have said, place yourself in God's presence and be open.

That's it.

He does the rest.

And when he does the rest, he gives a present.

When we are present to him, we receive a present from him.

can be expected, like at this Mass, every Mass you expect the Eucharist.

You get it Simeon expected that God's Word would come true for him.

that he would not see death until he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

He expected this and it happened and he held Jesus in his arms.

It can be unexpected, like you're seeing come from Mass, normal Sunday Mass, and all of a sudden, there's a baptism.

I get to see new life placed this morning in the Miller baby.

That's exciting.

That's invigorating.

For Mary, she didn't expect what Simeon would say to her.

We repeat every night as priests and religious in night prayer what Simeon said.

My eyes have seen your salvation.

Do realize you see salvation?

Every time I hold up the host at Mass that's what he's talking about.

He finally saw salvation in the flesh, in Jesus Christ.

That's why we spend 30 or 60 minutes in adoration in a chapel to look at salvation.

My own eyes have seen your salvation, a light for revelation to the Gentiles.

That's why we held the lights this morning.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world.

He's the light of your life.

especially if you're in darkness.

Simeon and Anna, we see them as revered, rightly so.

But you're talking about years and years and years of darkness.

And when they saw the light, it was life-changing, life-fulfilling, life-making.

And then Simeon, in this whole big inspired moment, filled with the Holy Spirit, filled with the light of Christ, he says to Mary, this child is destined, as he's holding him in

his arms, for the fallen rise of many, and to be a sign they'll be contradicted.

You yourself, a sword will pierce, like in your son's passion.

That was unexpected.

She and Joseph were amazed at what was said about their child.

So they presented themselves to the Lord, and He gave them a present.

He will give you a present during this Mass, every Mass, and every day of your lives.

And for that and for all of us, enjoy the present.