Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Vanity of Vanities – the theme recurs.
Qoheleth sets out the joys of youth, contrasted with the inevitable weakness that comes with age. The many references in this passage pose somewhat poetic images to represent the advancing of years. I’ll leave it to your own reflection to draw out those references.
Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, and the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity!
Reading and pondering the passages of the Book of Ecclesiastes would be considered depressing by many. In fact, scholars debate the question – is the writer of Ecclesiastes depressed or simply a realist? Neither. This book is one of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament. In it, the calm and sedate writing brings to attention truths that we all know.
It might be summarized this way: In the end, all things come from God and return to God. That is simply God’s plan. While we are on earth, many things can easily become pointless, feeding our vanities. God has created us to be at home with Him forever. The cycle of life holds out many things for us. Many come and go as if a circle. In the end, we are the Lord’s, destined to be with God. So, in a real way, everything else is not important. Let us seek the things that are above.
Reflection by Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections, Lenten Resources