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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II Tuesday, Memorial of the Presentation of Mary, 21 November 2023 Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab <*((((>< + ><))))*> Luke 1:39-47
On this Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple, we pray, O God, you make us presentable too before you like our Blessed Mother.
The words presentation and presentable connote things of beauty on the outside: a presentation can be a show like a play or a dance while to be presentable means to be pleasing to the eyes. But deep its external connotations is its inner meaning with religious roots actually, like to be dedicated as being good and beneficial to you, O God.
Like the Blessed Mother Mary, teach us to present ourselves wholly to you, dear God, by believing in you and your words, to have that firm faith on what is not seen and sure or certain, not carried away by all those fancy and make-believe images and promises of the world based on superficialities of materialism and consumerism.
In this age when fame and wealth are the measure of what is good, may we always choose true blessedness like Mary who believed your words would be fulfilled; in this age when everyone prefers to listen to outside noise and sounds especially of media, may we always choose to be silent like Mary, listening to your voice O God within, contemplating on its meaning; in this age with so many false idols being followed or with everyone playing god, may we have the courage and humility of Mary to always be with Jesus, never abandoning him even at the Cross, standing by his side, choosing to love and sacrifice, to bear than complain, to witness your mercy and majesty, to be your presence and peace. Amen.
