GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 22ND SEPTEMBER 2016
THURSDAY OF THE 25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1ST READING: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11
PSALM: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-13
GOSPEL: Luke 9:7-9
THEME: VANITY OF VANITIES
A walk through a cemetery can be both interesting and educative as one reads the epitaphs on gravestones. For some, an epitaph serves as one’s last word to the world written on stone. Some of these writings make you smile and others make you cry. There are some, however, that make you think. One of such striking epitaphs reads, “My past is someone’s future.” The past of every corpse is a body and the future of every body is a corpse.
There is a reality awaiting each one of us and Qoheleth, the preacher, reminds us of this when he writes, ” ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’ What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes but the earth remains forever” (Ecc 1:2-5).
Sometimes in pursuit of material wealth and fleeting power, we often forget that every human body has an expiry date. Each one of us has an appointment with death someday and when that day comes, we carry with us none of the material things we acquired. The only good we carry into eternity are our virtues.
Perhaps, instead of investing all our energy and time into amassing material wealth and power, let us seriously consider virtue-investment. May we seek to grow in gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, truthfulness, humility and all the other virtues of holiness. This will yield good dividends in the unending future.
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen)