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From: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23

All is Vanity

[2] Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

To work for prestige is to work without purpose

[21] [B]ecause sometimes a man must leave all to be enjoyed by a man who did
not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. [22] What has a man from all the
toil and strain with which he toils beneath the sun? [23] For all his days are full of
pain, and his work is a vexation; even in the night his mind does not rest. This al-
so is vanity.

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Commentary:

1:1-2. The book begins and ends with the same words: “Vanity of vanities…” (v.
2; cf. 12:8). The phrase sums up wonderfully well the central idea of the book
and is the sacred author’s assessment of the things of the world and the fruits of
human endeavour, included among the latter being the acquisition of a superficial
type of knowledge or wisdom that is clearly at odds with what we know from ex-
perience. The Hebrew root of the word translated as “vanity” means something
like the “vapour”, “air”, and conveys the idea of something with no consistency
to it, illusion, unreality. Some scholars link it to another root that means “flee-
ting”, “evanescent”, in the sense of something that man cannot grasp, and that
is certainly an aspect of what the author is saying throughout the book. “Vanity
of vanities” is the Hebrew form of the superlative, as in “Song of Songs”, On the
Preacher, Qoheleth, see the “Introduction”, p. 257, above.

When reading this book it is useful to bear in mind that the author is a Jewish
teacher, very familiar with the Law and the wisdom tradition of Israel, which, in
reaction to the arrival in Judea of various currents of Greek thought, was asking
itself very seriously about the validity of its own answers about the value of hu-
man actions and the rewards or punishments that applied to them; could it be
that the hedonistic ideas (which took no account of God) being put forward by
Greek philosophers in the squares and streets – could these have some validity?
The Preacher takes issue with both traditional wisdom and the Greeks. With a
great deal of common sense, he questions all these teachings (which were wide-
ly accepted) and concludes that they are approaching the subject in the wrong
way. It is not that he is skeptical about the human mind’s ability to know reality;
what he objects to is the failure of seekers after wisdom to go to the root of the
problem: “The book of Ecclesiastes explains that exactly things are made of,
and shows and makes clear to us the vanity of many of the things of the world,
so that we might come to understand that the passing things of this life are not
worth hungering for, and that we should not devote our attention to useless things
or fix our desires on any creating thing” (St. Basil, In principium Proverbiorum, 1).

1:3-6:12. The first part of the book is devoted to showing that the type of wisdom
man is bent on acquiring is of no use at all. To do this, it points out that if one
looks around, one gets the impression that everything in the world forms part of
one continuous cyclical movement in which one can never expect anything new
to happen: things that seem new are not new at all (1:3-11). It goes on to argue,
from experience, that the search for wisdom serves no purpose, for the wise
man’s lot remains unchanged, no matter what he learns (1:12-2:26). To compound
his argument, the Preacher goes on to report what he has seen — fraud and loneli-
ness . . . And from his observation of things around him, he draws a similar con-
clusion: this, too, is vanity and a waste of effort (3:1-4:16). That being so, in a se-
ries of counsels (5:1-12) he expounds the key lesson of the book: “Do you fear
God” (5:7). In other words, if one does not take God into account, even riches
bring only evils (5:13-6:7). That being the case, what advantages does wisdom of-
fer (6:8-12)? In this way the teacher of Israel, using a rhetoric similar to that of his
Hellenist adversaries, composes a diatribe to show that the reasonable thing to
do is to put one’s trust in God, for all the wisdom of this world is in vain.

Both of these notions – true wisdom and the fear of God – will be perfected in the
New Testament message. True wisdom is in “Christ, in whom are had all the trea-
sures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:2-3). And the fear of God should be under-
stood as love, not servile fear, because God is our Father. That conviction should
govern what we do: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For
fear has to do with punishment and he who fears is not perfected in love (1 Jn 4:
18).

2:12-23. Continuing with his argument, the Preacher lists some examples of how
impossible it is to attain happiness by following the paths of mere human exper-
ience. Now he takes up another matter, also to do with traditional wisdom: the
idea that the prospect of descendants makes a man happy, because they will ap-
preciate all the work he has done and will benefit from it (cf. Prov 10:7; Sir 44:9).
Seemingly the wise man thinks that that gives meaning to what he does and he
derives satisfaction from it (vv. 14a-b). But as the sacred writer sees it, this also
is vanity: wise man and fool, “the one fate comes to all of them” (v. 14c). There-
fore the thought of posterity is sheer vanity, for both wise man and fool will be for-
gotten (vv. 15-16). So, life seems, in fact, hateful and depressing (v. 20). Indeed,
all striving after these things leads nowhere (vv. 22-23).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11

Seek the Things That Are Above

[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Avoid Sin

[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3]
For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who
is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. [5] Put to death
therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry.

[9] Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its
practices [10] and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in know-
ledge after the image of its creator. [11] Here there cannot be Greek and Jew,
circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ
is all, and in all.

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Commentary:

1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is
a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to
suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.

By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan
and of death. “By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ;
they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanc-
tum Concilium”, 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to a new kind of
life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth, in the glorious
life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but when our
Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.

Two practical consequences flow from this teaching—the need to seek the “things
that are above”, that is, the things of God; and the need to pass unnoticed in one’s
everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with a supernatural purpose
in mind.

As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: “In their pilgri-
mage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things that are
above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater commitment
to working with all men to build a world that is more human” (”Gaudium Et Spes”,
57). Work, family relationships, social involvements—every aspect of human affairs
— should be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly, out of love: “The true
Christian, who acts according to this faith”, St. Escriva comments, “always has
his sights set on God. His outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours,
which he loves passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while
his eyes are fixed on Heaven” (”Friends of God”, 206).

Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others with-
out seeking public recognition of one’s merits—all this makes for holiness if done
for love of God. A simple life “hid with Christ in God” (verse 3) is so important
that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on earth living like
an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. “As we meditate on these
truths, we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to realize that
the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing great under-
takings suggested to us by our over-active imagination.

Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God’s will, in welcoming ge-
nerously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is
Passing By”, 172).

This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His hidden
life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy people; and after
their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they will hear Jesus’ praise,
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set
you over much; enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21).

On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:15.

5-17. The Christian, who in Baptism has risen with Christ, should not live for him-
self but for God. This means that every day he needs to put off his old nature and
put on the new.

The “old nature”, the “old man”: one who lets himself be led by disorderly pas-
sions (cf. Rom 7:8), who lets his body do evil in the service of sin (v. 5; cf. Rom
6:12f). With the help of grace the old nature is being more and more broken down,
while the new nature is constantly being renewed (cf. 2 Cor 6:16). Impurity and
the other vices need to be uprooted so as to make room for goodness and its
train of Christian virtues (vv. 12-13), especially charity (v. 14), which are features
of the new nature.

Christ’s disciple, who has been made a new person and who lives for the Lord,
has a new and more perfect knowledge of God and of the world (v. 10). Thanks
to this he see things from a more elevated viewpoint; he has a “supernatural in-
sight”. This enables him to love and understand everyone without distinction of
race, nation or social status (v. 11), and to imitate Christ, who has given himself
up for all. “The Only-begotten of the Eternal Father vouchsafed to become a son
of man, that we might be made conformable to the image of the Son of God and
be renewed according to the likeness of him who created us. Therefore let all
those who glory in the name of Christians not only look upon our divine Savior
as the most sublime and most perfect model of all virtues, but also, by the care-
ful avoidance of sin and the unremitting practice of holiness, so reproduce in
their conduct his teaching and life, that when the Lord appears they may be like
to him in glory, seeing him as he is (cf. 1 Jn 3:2)” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”,
20).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 12:13-21

Parable of the Rich Fool

[13] One of the multitude said to Him (Jesus), “Teacher, bid my brother divide
the inheritance with me.” [14] But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge
or divider over you?” [15] And He said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all co-
vetousness; for man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
[16] And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth
plentifully; [17] and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to
store my crops?’ [18] And he said, ‘I will do this: I will store all my grain and my
goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for
many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ [20] But God said to him,
‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared,
whose will they be?’ [21] So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not
rich toward God.”

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Commentary:

13. This man is only interested in his own problems; he sees in Jesus only a tea-
cher with authority and prestige who can help sort out his case (cf. Deuteronomy
21:17). He is a good example of those who approach religious authorities not to
seek advice on the way they should go in their spiritual life, but rather to get them
to solve their material problems. Jesus vigorously rejects the man’s request — not
because He is insensitive to the injustice which may have been committed in this
family, but because it is not part of His redemptive mission to intervene in matters
of this kind. By His word and example the Master shows us that His work of sal-
vation is not aimed at solving the many social and family problems that arise in
human society; He has come to give us principles and moral standards which
should inspire our actions in temporal affairs, but not to give us precise, techni-
cal solutions to problems which arise; to that end He has endowed us with intel-
ligence and freedom.

15-21. After His statement in verse 15, Jesus tells the parable of the foolish rich
man: what folly it is to put our trust in amassing material goods to ensure we
have a comfortable life on earth, forgetting the goods of the spirit, which are what
really ensure us — through God’s mercy — of eternal life.

This is how St. Athanasius explained these words of our Lord: “A person who
lives as if he were to die every day — given that our life is uncertain by definition
— will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites;
whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be
dominated by pleasures” (”Adversus Antigonum”).

19. This man’s stupidity consisted in making material possession his only aim in
life and his only insurance policy. It is lawful for a person to want to own what he
needs for living, but if possession of material resources becomes an absolute, it
spells the ultimate destruction of the individual and of society. “Increased posses-
sion is not the ultimate goal of nations nor of individuals. All growth is ambivalent.
It is essential if man is to develop as a man, but in a way it imprisons man if he
considers it the supreme good, and it restricts his vision. Then we see hearts har-
den and minds close, and men no longer gather together in friendship but out of
self-interest, which soon leads to strife and disunity. The exclusive pursuit of pos-
sessions thus becomes an obstacle to individual fulfillment and to man’s true
greatness. Both for nations and for individual, avarice is the most evident form
of underdevelopment” (Paul VI, “Populorum Progressio”, 19).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Green.

First reading
Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23 ©

Vanity of vanities, Qoheleth says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity!

For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity.

EITHER:

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89:3-6,12-14,17 ©