Personal ‘presents’

Jesus Christ offers us the gift or present that IS presence itself, all that he truly is in his divinity and his humanity

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger

The one thing about Thanksgiving is you just have to show up. It is a celebration of personal presence. And you are supposed to eat together. There is something fundamentally human about a meal with family, friends — and even sometimes with strangers. Folklore about the origins of Thanksgiving paired two remarkably diverse peoples around a dinner table with one another who had in common only their humanity and the desire at least to — as evangelizing bumper stickers preach: CO-EXIST!

Thanksgivings have not always been so simple or idyllic, of course. Work indeed must be done. Hunting of some sort or, in modern times, shopping and the preparation of the comestibles. The setup and the cleanup require some sort of sacrifice, of time, talent and treasure. Not much different from any liturgy with real people present. But again, we are talking about something that includes real people, not images or icons. Persons who do not always get along and may be “difficult” at times, as the Brits might say.

The moment arrives when the celebrants finally recline around the repast to be shared and, in keeping with tradition, will pause for a moment of prayer. Memories may be shared of those who have gone before us with loving prayers of gratitude which, for many people of faith, keeps the connections alive. In Judaism it is said one loses a life, not a relationship. Our Catholic faith celebrates the “real presence” of God among us in the community of believers (“where two or three are gathered in my name”) and the really Real Presence in the Eucharistic substance in which the body, blood, soul and divine to the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ remains among us as we partake in this mystery during Mass.

I always take great joy in reminding myself and others who have lost the earthly presence of a loved one that the Jesus whom the saints behold in heaven is the same Jesus present on our altar at Mass. Indeed it is this one Lord whom we carry with us into the world when we acknowledge and trust in his presence among us, the mystical Body of Christ which connects all disciples as members of his body. This is the ekklesia, or church, which in this sense is not confined to a tent, or the doors of a building, or even a sumptuous cathedral. Much like the figure of the Ark of the Covenant, it is carried among the people, and even within our hearts and souls, personally. Nothing virtual about it.

It is this kind of “presence” that is particularly human and divine. We are moved, at times, to want to extend our presence through various items which we term gifts or, not accidentally, presents. No item, however, can totally represent our really being there — precisely because it is just a “thing.” This is what is so unique and blessed — so human — about a Thanksgiving celebration. To be sure, we will bring our screens there. In a way they are gifts to all of us, as technology offers us so many ways to connect with events and resources that sustain and support our lives. Food, finance, charity, medicine, sports, education travel, clothing, history, news and so many forms of entertainment to name only a few in no order of precedence — all of these activities and engagements which sustain and enrich our lives.

It is to be hoped, however, that we will resist the temptation at Thanksgiving at least to live only in that virtual reality which, after all, is not a substitute for personal presence. We are learning more each day about how the conditions during the pandemic caused serious developmental issues, among children in particular. We need not rehash them all here but Thanksgiving is one of the ways we can restore some of those wounded relationships that technology alone could never repair. There is no present like a personal presence.

The specter of Black Friday looms in the background, the day after Thanksgiving, not unlike the lull that follows a frenetic Christmas shopping season. The more we allow ourselves to be seduced by the artifacts or “things” of any celebration — even the Mass itself! — we can lose the essential meaning and experience of our humanity, celebrating together in the presence of a God who is always with us.

Not all will resist or overcome the herd instinct to “get ahead of the crowd” or the “Christmas rush” as it has come to be called. Sadly, we have witnessed stampedes which can certainly inhibit anyone who only follows a mob.

We are on the eve of Advent now. It is what we call the ecclesiastical or “church” New Year. If getting a “head start” is important to us, now would be a good time to start making those resolutions. A good one could be the commitment to make more of our “presents” personal. Not all of us will find that easy, especially anyone who may live with some physical or emotional disability. Those recovering from surgery, suffering from trauma, or confined to a home or care facility due to nothing else but the advance of age may feel especially challenged by what Mother Teresa has called “the poverty of loneliness.” What a special gift it would be for us who are able to reach out to a loved one, or even a stranger, who is unable to take that step right now.

As I have found myself reflecting of late, a parish is so much more than a place where we gather on Sunday, somewhere we go “to” that is far from where we live each day. In a way, “church” is wherever we are present at any time and, even more, how we are present. It makes a difference when we encounter another person that we make an effort, perhaps one requiring prayer and much patience, to listen heart to heart. This means that our presence is much more than another transaction, a means of getting something else done. Every human being is a destination, a goal, a value — in themself. This is why Jesus Christ offers us the gift or present that IS presence itself, all that he truly is in his divinity and his humanity. No thing can better feed and sustain our desire to grow in our humanity — to be a real presence to others — than to receive the gift of Jesus himself. An excellent way to start the New Year is to become personal presents.

 @AlbanyDiocese