18th Sunday of Ordinary Time - Cycle C

“Vanity of vanities!  All things are vanity!”  These are the words that open our first reading this Sunday and are a stark reminder of what should be important in our lives.  While we may be familiar with the saying, and while we may give credence to the sentiment, our modern lives are in fact often mired in vanity.  This Sunday’s readings serve as a sharp reminder as to what is really is important:

The Word for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Luke 12:13-21

Our first reading is from the Book of Ecclesiastes.  The word “Ecclesiastes” is a rough Greek translation of the Hebrew word Qoheleth, to whom the book is attributed.  This is not so much a name of someone as it is a title, in this case the “assembler” or “collector” of wisdom.  Like all wisdom literature in the Bible, this book is a collection of sayings and parables intended to remind us of what is important.  Here the author uses the word “vanity” as a recurring theme, but what is vanity?  In this case, it’s the translation of the Hebrew word hebel, which is defined as a sense of “emptiness, futility, or absurdity.”  In other words, those things that are pointless.  Also, in the context of scripture it refers to those things or activities that are selfishly temporal, focusing on physical wealth or status as opposed to spiritual salvation.

In our passage for this Sunday, we are reminded that there are greater things than just working to survive.  It suggests that we can get so caught in our day-to-day routine that we can find ourselves wondering what this is all for?  Why are we doing it?  If that were not enough, the author suggests that this “poor, poor, pitiful me” realization is itself an exercise in vanity.  Why?  Well, we’ve been told, over and over again, what should be important – our relationship to God, our family, and our neighbors.  But we children of God can be a stubborn lot, not always ready to accept this teaching.  To this problem our Psalm reminds us, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart.”

Our Gospel from Luke continues with this idea of vanity and of what is really important in this life.  Here Jesus gives us a warning against greed and earthly possessions.  The passage opens with a man asking Jesus to tell his brother to share his inheritance.  This is indeed an interesting situation.  By Jewish tradition, the eldest son inherits everything so naturally the brother is feeling slighted.  Jesus has preached on the importance of sharing, so this man thinks his brother needs to hear this lesson from Jesus.  But Jesus doesn’t take the bait and says “who appointed me as your judge?”  Jesus rightly does not want to get caught up in this dispute, and instead gives the crowd an admonition against greed.  He then supports this idea with the Parable of the Rich Fool (another parable unique to Luke’s Gospel) which reminds us that our preoccupation with storing up Earthly riches does not prepare us for eternal life.

Our second reading concludes our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  Here Paul puts this whole situation in perspective by reminding us that we need to “seek what is above.”  He says, “put to death the parts of you that are earthy.”  Vanity of vanities indeed!  Never lose sight of the fact that our time on this earth is all too brief and shouldn’t be squandered on things that, in the end, can’t bring us to Heaven.

Final thoughts:
Having lived through a global pandemic these past 2 ½ years has allowed many of us to rethink what is important in our lives.  In a way, that’s a good thing, although it is unfortunate that for many of us it takes a disaster to force us to rethink our priorities.  And while a lot of this re-thinking of priorities has been positive, I can’t help but think that much of this re-thinking is being done through the guise of selfishness rather than selflessness.  

There is no denying that we live in a very self-centered society.  What do I want?  How do I feel?  How many “likes” did I get today?  Me-me-me!  We are the “selfie” generation.  We let ourselves become trapped in an endless cycle of physical well-being and pleasure, focusing ourselves often at the expense of others.  Talk about the vanity of vanities!  

Mind you, knowing ourselves is still very important.  Knowing how we feel and why, knowing what we want out of life is important, but there needs to be a balance.  We also need to consider others in this equation.  How am I helping others, those I know and those I don’t know, in my pursuit of self-improvement?  How does God factor into this equation?  And ultimately, where do my priorities lie – with myself or with others.  Or as our Gospel reading suggests, if our lives should end today, are we ready to meet our maker?

It seems to me that the wisdom of Qoheleth is just as relevant today as it was 3,000 years ago.  Jesus was right to teach us that physical wealth cannot bring us happiness or eternal life.  Rather, it is our relationship with God and with others that is more important.  Our lives here on Earth are, after all, only temporary.  Understanding that bigger picture helps us to see that there is much more to life, both here and beyond.