Pastor's Message
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“You Fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you; and the things you have prepared whose will they be?.” Luke12:20
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, Vanity of vanities! All is Vanity. Eccl. 1:2
This is the opening verse, in today’s 1st Reading, from “The Book of Ecclesiastes,” written by Qoheleth, who claimed to be King of Jerusalem and the Son of David. Qoheleth claims to have experienced and studied all aspects of life and come to this simple conclusion, “All human endeavor and activities are Pointless;” They are ‘Mere Breath;’ ‘Hevel’ in Hebrew”
In Chapter 1, Verses nine to eleven we hear him repeat his refrain; “What was, will be again what has been done, will be done again” 28 times, to a Conclusion; “There’s nothing new under the sun.”
Therefore, all human strive comes to this; “meaningless chase after the wind.” “I surveyed all that my hands have done and what I toiled to achieve, everything ‘was’ meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing ‘is’ gained under the sun.” Eccl. 2:11
Quite clearly many people get perturbed by this book! Some question its relevance, while others say it gives a very pessimistic view of life!” Yet, in Qoheleth, we witness “a Journey of a Soul,” toward “the Only Choice;” God! Struck by the futility of life, frustrations in human love and pleasures, human labor and excessive greed injustices and eventually imminent death; Qoheleth became dissatisfied, distressed if not disillusioned with Life;
He represented the skeptical side of Israel’s Wisdom. His thoughts reflect the disillusionment of a people who had returned from the exile to Babylon, to discover that all the old and certain had perished!
In today’s World, Qoheleth would represent the many who go through experiences of doubts and questionings, I mean, those journeying in Life as to say through the darkness of unbelief! Qoheleth in his Life, made his journey to emerge at the end of his Book with a Firm Choice for God; “Fear God and keep his Commandments, (He advised) for this is the duty of everyone.” Eccl. 12:13
Qoheleth wrestled with the Wisdom of his people with an aim of providing answers, in the Gospel Reading, we encounter the Wisdom of God Incarnate. Jesus is requested by one of his listeners, to intervene in a struggle that looked genuine but He wanted nothing to do with it; “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”
Jesus, took the opportunity to teach about the Wisdom that governed the Kingdom of God, already present among them! He gave a Parable where a person had found refuge, not in true Wisdom leading to God but in amassed possession; “I shall say to myself, now, as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, relax, eat, drink, be merry!” Luke 12:19 God awoke him from “the idolatry of his created!” to remind him of the necessity of true pursuit;
“You Fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you; and the things you have prepared whose will they be? Luke 12:20
Brothers and Sisters, St Paul in the second reading, from his Letter to the Colossians, encourages us “to seek the things that are above!” Colossian 3:1
He enumerates behaviors that are contrary to our generous response to the Love of God. St. Paul warns us against “Greed that is Idolatry.” Greed, which makes us not only worship the created but also, forget God, its Creator and ourselves. St. Paul reminds us of the Spirit of God we have received; The Spirit who illumine us, and guides us to the all Truth; God; Our Creator and Father.
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