By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Maybe you’ve caught some of the confirmation hearings for prospective (some now confirmed) members of President Trump’s cabinet. It’s the same every time when a new administration comes into office—the sidestepping of ticklish questions, and “gotcha” questions by adversaries on the various examining committees. But no doubt much of the public show is concerned with presentation on both sides … how they will appear to their constituencies, supporters and bosses so that their own particular target audiences will continue to support them.

Now, on February 2 of each year, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the infant Jesus—a firstborn son—in accordance with the Jewish law: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘…you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb…Every first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem’…By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt…For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and the first-born of cattle. Therefore…all the first-born of my sons I redeem.” (Exodus 13:12-15). So, in remembrance of God’s protection of His people in Egypt, all first-born Israelite males were dedicated and given to God and then “bought back”—or “redeemed”—with a token symbolic sacrifice.

Thereafter (ideally), with the annual Jewish Passover, Israelite families were to observe a sacrifice an unblemished lamb to be consumed by family groups in perpetual remembrance of the “passing over” of their own firstborn in the final plague in Egypt which resulted in the death of Egyptian firstborn, the final result being the Israelites release from slavery (Exodus 12). Centuries later, Jesus Himself would be the unblemished lamb sacrificed upon the cross to free mankind from a worse slavery to evil and sin. Obviously, His sacrifice did not eradicate evil (we see that every day!), but with Jesus’ death and resurrection He opened the path to eternal life with God.

Mythology? It might seem so … except for so much which supports the truth of it: the spread of the teaching of a lowly carpenter which changed the world, the martyrdom accepted by witnesses to Him and His works, and many other verifications to numerous to recount here. One need only look to see.

But, to get back on track, when we think of Jesus being the divine, yet also human, “lamb of sacrifice” unblemished by even the slightest taint of evil, presented first to the Father as an infant, and then definitively on the cross, the Christian might muse: “How would I appear if presented at this moment to God?” For Jesus warns—and we witness in life—that we cannot know the day nor the hour of the end of our lives. Whenever it will be, we are one day closer than yesterday.

Now, we all could likely recount scads of moral failures and weaknesses in our own lives “… in what I have done, and what I have failed to do.” None of us is an “unblemished lamb” by any stretch. But God’s love is such that He goes even to the cross to manifest that love for us, and to offer up that eternal life with Him.

In this we can see the importance of humility in our own lives. We have no reason to boast. An easy way to realize our weaknesses and faults is to consider how we see such in other people. Do we really think that we are different from the rest of humanity? There is no reason to believe that, so a look in the mirror is always warranted.

After all, we tend to excuse ourselves much more easily than we do others: “I only did this because of that event/condition/annoyance. Anyone would; it’s understandable! I was provoked!!” Etc.  But have we, O Christian, asked God for the grace to see our own faults, and even more so, to give us the will to correct them? Is not our omission to ask for such in itself presumptuous, implicitly believing “I’m SO good; I don’t need to examine my actions?” If we see weakness and evil in our own human nature, how much must God see? A cloth may seem to us white and bright…until compared to the purity of snow.

That’s why in Christian religious practice it’s often recommended to do a nightly “examination of conscience”—an honest evaluation of one’s own conduct during that day. “How did I fail in charity and faith today? How can I do better tomorrow? Did I reflect the kindness, the forgiveness, the charity of Christ as the Christian is called to do?” In this examination, we may remember: “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23) Or we might break out the Bible and read the Beatitudes and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in which He gives and concise outline of His teaching. Certainly these and other scriptures give ample direction even to the non-believer, for the virtues described therein are universal: kindness, forgiveness, patience, etc.

And we are prideful! We judge others freely when we have our own faults and weaknesses to deal with? We condemn others for faults, but can we be sure how we would act if tempted similarly or if tempted differently than what we have experienced. The best persons are often the most humble, for they realize their own failings and abstain from prideful self-elevation.

What a wonderful society could we be if all took to heart the admonitions of Jesus—to forgive, to love, to be kind to all. As we contemplate how we will finally present ourselves before God on that pivotal day, let us now remember and observe what Jesus tells His disciples just prior to His Passion: “I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you … If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13:15-17)

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.