Striving for the Pointless?

In the first reading today, we begin the book of Ecclesiastes. The book is something of a study in the futility of life here on earth. More in a moment. In the Gospel from Luke 9, we see Herod wondering about this Jesus character. He had heard much about him and was obviously very curious. It’s something that happens to a lot of us! We hear a lot about Jesus and feel the need to check him out!

Qoheleth, the Hebrew name for the writer of Ecclesiastes, says, “All things are vanity!” Just to make sure I got the idea, I looked up the word “vanity.” Here’s the definition that I think best fits…”something worthless, trivial or pointless.” This guy seems to have a really sour attitude about, well, everything. While I like to try to look at the positive side of life, I get what he is saying.

We need to be living for the eternal. If we spend our time here on the planet seeking fleshly pleasures, accumulating stuff, wasting time on unimportant things, yeah, that’s vanity. Pointless. We have a much higher purpose, a higher calling. We have to be sure that all we do is in response to that higher calling. How much time are we spending spinning our wheels chasing after things of the world? Vanity of vanities.

Father, help us to keep in mind our higher calling, our greater purpose; to serve you in all we do. May we follow that calling each day. Amen.

Today’s Readings

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