As we contemplate the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, we can shift the prism a little, look at it from another angle, and ask ourselves: What does it mean to present ourselves to the Lord?
It can mean many things, but I want to bring it closer to our everyday lives.
When we speak to the Lord and place before Him our souls, our hearts, our sins, and our brokenness in genuine, heartfelt prayer, we are presenting ourselves to Him. We are making ourselves available to Him. We are saying, “Here I am. Do with me as You will.”
This mystery calls us to present ourselves to Him.
Often, we say a quick prayer. At other times, we face a setback, an obstacle, a tragedy, or a serious health problem. Then we stop, kneel, and pray from the depths of our hearts. We open ourselves to Him in genuine prayer, filled with pain, feeling, and emotion.
But He wants us to come before Him every day. He wants to help us and cleanse us. He does not promise a life free of suffering, pain, or effort. He wants us to be willing to work with Him through each of these experiences, to seek Him in everything life brings.
He wants us to come before Him when we have a problem and when we do not.
There is something valuable about approaching Him when we are calm and at peace. It is a different kind of prayer from the one we offer when we are hurting, overwhelmed with emotion, and carrying so much on our minds. In that stillness, too, we can open our hearts and make ourselves available to Him.
And if we do not know Him, if we do not know where to begin, we can allow ourselves to be guided by others who are already walking that path.
Jesus was a baby. He could not walk to the Temple. Mary and Joseph carried Him and presented Him to His Father. As we contemplate the Holy Spirit working through them, we can also recognize an invitation to let others accompany us.
Let those who strive each day to draw closer to God, who seek to listen to the Holy Spirit, help us draw closer to Him.
We are not called to do everything alone. We are called to live in community, to walk together, to help one another, and to love one another.