Reading 1
Eccl 11:9—12:8
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
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!
Gospel
Lk 9:43b-45
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
"Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Meditation: Luke 9:43-45
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.” (Luke 9:44)
The disciples were “all amazed,” and with good reason (Luke 9:43)! Jesus had done some astounding things: He calmed the wind and sea. He healed an epileptic child. He raised a young girl from the dead. Then he commissioned the disciples, empowering them to do miraculous things themselves. Then some of them saw Jesus’ transfiguration along with Moses and Elijah! No wonder the disciples were astonished and enthused: These were exciting times!
But Jesus was too good to leave the twelve in this state of awe. So he shook them, saying in effect: “Pay attention! This is going to end badly for me.” He wanted to protect his disciples from misperceptions—about his mission, about the power he was teaching them to wield for the kingdom of God, about who they were in that kingdom, and about the disappointment that was sure to result when the end of his mission collided with their expectations.
God is so good! He knows us. He reads the fine print written deep in our hearts, and he understands it all. Nothing in our lives escapes his attention. Nothing escapes his concern. He loves us enough to warn us, to correct us, and yes, even to shake us up sometimes. But the shaking is usually gentle and “little by little,” so that we can become more freed up to put our trust in him (Wisdom 12:2).
So pay attention to the Lord! When things are going amazingly well, trust him. And if it feels as if he is shaking you up a bit, trust him all the more. Try to find out what he’s doing and where he wants to grab your attention so that you can respond to him. And even if you can’t figure it out, trust that Jesus knows what he’s doing. He knows your past and he knows what lies ahead for you. He alone has the wisdom and power to guide your steps. He will fill you with his love and kindness. He will care for you, just as he did his disciples.
“Father, I want to trust you in a deeper, closer way today. I open my heart to receive your goodness. Open my eyes to see your kindness and my ears to hear your guidance.”
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