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Reflections
for Sunday, August 4, 2013
Vanity! All is vanity! This means that life is without meaning. And so
it is unless we turn to God and follow the way of the Lord. Many of us
have found the emptiness of life within ourselves at various times. Life
can seem impossible and we seem unable to move forward. All is vanity.
This comes from the Book of Ecclesiastes but is part of the human
understanding of life for many centuries.
The Gospel of Luke today points us in another direction: seek treasures
that last forever. This seems sound advice. It is only possible if we
believe that there is a forever. Thus we come face to face with our own
faith. Do I believe? Do I believe in God? Do I believe in everlasting
life? Even Christians at times have their doubts about these most profound
realities. We should never be surprised by those who reject belief. Yet
we ourselves can give thanks that we do believe.
Our belief tells us that God loves us. God sends His Own Son for our
redemption. The Holy Spirit comes to draw us into these divine mysteries.
While this is all true and always true, it does not mean that we always
feel so confident!
We become more confident as we try to live the advice of the Letter to the
Colossians: Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Faith is a gift and then it is a choice. The first element of faith is a
gift of God. That gift is always given to us. We must then choose to live
in faith. That choice is a struggle all of our lives. It is often so much
easier not to believe!
On the other hand, we are here because Jesus has touched our lives in some
way. It is Jesus who tells us to believe. It is Jesus who tells us to
seek the treasure that will last forever. Jesus also tells us the way:
love one another! Love your enemies. Turn the other cheek? Give over and
over and over to help others.
My sisters and brothers, life is all vanity. Only in Jesus Christ do we
meet the treasure that will last forever. Let us walk with the Lord,
listening to Him and seeking to follow His words. In this we can rejoice
forever. We will be rich in what matters to God. Let us praise Him.
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1.2; 2.21-23
Second Reading: Colossians 3.1-5, 9-11
Gospel: Luke 12.13-21
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