The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
Draw near to Him.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.
The Gospel reading immediately triggers the perfectionist in me; I can feel the anxious thoughts rising up. “Oh man.. Am I doing enough? If Jesus were to come today, would I be ready? What if He came in a moment of my sin or weakness? I would feel so much shame. I gotta make sure I’m always living in a state of perfect grace…” and down the rabbit hole it goes.
Whoa, Kath. Stop for just a moment. Upon further reflection, I realize, the greater message here is to prepare my soul for His coming. The first thing that comes to mind, beyond spending more time volunteering and helping others, or working on cultivating the virtues in my character is to simply draw closer to the Source Himself. Where do I find His Presence most? Where do I find His perfect Peace? For me, the answer is clear: during Mass, and during Adoration.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to strive and push to hit the marks of “perfection”. He calls us to draw near to Him. To spend time in His presence, to seek His face. Who I am when I am spending time with Him on a daily basis, as much as I can, is worlds beyond the person I am when I am striving for perfection.
Draw near to me. I can almost hear His voice, calling me to come closer to Him, to simply sit and soak in His presence. Yes, a huge part of my heart aches to contribute to the world and help others. But in order to clarify and define what that looks like for me, I have to spend time everyday soaking in His Love. I think of it almost like a battery charging- spending time with Him in prayer sparks energy and grace, which fuels actions of charity and love. And that is the kind of person I hope to be when He comes.
May we spend time today, and everyday, drawing nearer to Him, and simply sitting in His presence. May time spent soaking in His perfect love fuel lives of action, compassion and grace.
Katherine Cimorelli is a musician, writer and passionate Catholic living in Nashville, TN. A member of the all-sister band Cimorelli, she has toured internationally and released 3 albums and many EPs with her sisters over the last 10 years. You can read more of her writing and poetry at www.katherinecimorelli.com.