Reading 1
Eccl 1:2-11
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
What profit has man from all the labor
which he toils at under the sun?
One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going.
All speech is labored;
there is nothing one can say.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing
nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.
What has been, that will be;
what has been done, that will be done.
Nothing is new under the sun.
Even the thing of which we say, "See, this is new!"
has already existed in the ages that preceded us.
There is no remembrance of the men of old;
nor of those to come will there be any remembrance
among those who come after them.
Gospel
Lk 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
"John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";
still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."
But Herod said, "John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"
And he kept trying to see him.
Meditation: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11
“Vanity of vanities!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2)
Busy lives and hectic schedules can make us feel trapped on the treadmill of life. We all know what it feels like to put our time and effort into daily tasks but still feel as if we’re never really moving forward. This is why it is vital that we stop from time to time to try to regain the “big picture” of our lives, asking the Lord to give us a sense of awe and wonder over the beauty of life in this world.
When the daily grind shortens your horizon, you lose sight not only of the wonders of life in the world but of Jesus as well. He wants to pour out new blessings every day, if only we have the eyes to see them and the heart to receive them!
When we feel tempted to consider, like Qoheleth, that all our work and striving is useless vanity, we should remember that we now live in the light of the resurrection. The endless cycle of the seasons, days, and years has given way to the promise of eternity. It has yielded to the promise of a time when everything will be made new. Now, because Jesus has marked us for heaven, every year, every day, every hour of our life is filled with divine potential. Quoting from the Book of Revelation, Pope Benedict XVI once said: “ ‘He who sits upon the throne says: Behold, I make all things new’ (21:5). The first absolutely new thing realized by God was Jesus’ resurrection, his heavenly glorification. It is the beginning of a whole series of ‘new things’ in which we also have a share.”
Even the most mundane, routine tasks can take on new meaning when we do them in union with Jesus and in service to his people. No act of love or generosity is too small to escape the eyes of the Lord. No simple prayer whispered from the heart is too quiet or insignificant. That’s because there is no “ordinary” in Christ. God always has something new waiting for us. So let’s discover what it is! And as we do, we’ll become more effective instruments in his world and help other people to see the wonder and beauty that is all around them as well.
“Come, Holy Spirit, enkindle in me the fire of your love, and you will renew the face of the earth!”
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