"Vanity of Vanities, All Things are Vanity"

Sunday Mass Readings

I have not been more torn in life as I have been these days. I am torn between my father who is recovering from a severe heart-attack in India and my ministry in the United States. Just the other night, I could not sleep any longer. I lay in my bed thinking… “Life,” I said, “life offers such hard choices.” I know I must leave home soon for Dayton to continue my ministry. I knew that this parting was going to be like none other. The next day, my niece who was preparing to leave home to begin her medical school snuck up next to me and said, “I so want to go, and yet, I so do not want to go.” She was crying bitterly. For a moment I was speechless. Her sentiments and mine were so similar. Only, she had captured it so well. At least, I was not alone. We found comfort in each other. Misery had found company. The author of today’s first reading would call my feelings and that of my niece, vanity. The very first verse of today’s first reading from the book of Ecclesiastes says:

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! (Eccl 1:2)
For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun?
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest.
This also is vanity. (Eccl 2:23)

Who among us has not at some point or the other pondered on the futility of it all. In fact, Qoheleth would suggest that “the futility of it all” is the best realization that a wise person can come to. The opposite, i.e., the human desire for wealth and earthly security and its accompanying anxiety, grief, and sleeplessness is what Qoheleth calls, vanity. And Jesus would agree. That is why Jesus, in today’s gospel reading, called the rich man who found comfort and security a “fool.” “Take care,” Jesus says, “to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich one’s life does not consists of possessions.”

Three practical implications:
Paul was a very educated man. He studied under the then famous Rabbi Gamaliel. Knowing how self-motivated Paul was, being aware of his zeal for Christ and the single-minded devotion, his ability to focus on the task at hand, and recognizing his capacity for deep thoughts, we can conclude that Paul could have written a number of “how to do it” books. In fact, today’s second reading is not much different from modern day motivational literature. Paul proposes three steps for us to make sure we can avoid vanity and reach our final destination – our Creator.

1. First, Paul says, “Think” of what is above, not of what is on earth. It was Buddha who said, “What we think, we become.” In other words, Paul suggests that the secret to living wisely begins in the mind. How do we think of ourselves, primarily? Do we define ourselves by the roles we play or the profession we practice or do we primarily think of ourselves as pilgrims on the way to eternity? Paul would advise us to let our final destiny define us. It our calling as children of God that should determine what roles we play and how we fulfill them. It is our identity as belonging to Christ that should determine our profession and how we carry out our social responsibilities. This is the first practical implication then: Let our divine eternity determine our earthly mortality. In this is wisdom. To do otherwise is vanity. It is foolishness. That would be an eternal suicide.

2. Second, Paul suggests, “Put to death the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and the greed that is idolatry.” Once we determine that our eternity determines our mortality, the next step is the conscious effort to root out those elements from our lives that tie us to our earthly mortality. In the gospels this process is called conversion. In today’s reading Paul identifies six things we must root out from our lives: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed (which he calls idolatry), and lying. The second practical implication, then, is: let our eternity dictate our mortality.

3. Third, Paul pleads, “…Put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.” The third step, Paul would suggest, is to make conscious positive changes in our life. Wisdom lies not only in eliminating earthly values but inculcating those values that will lead us to our Creator. Paul calls this, “putting on the new self.” If we take the readings seriously, we must “put on” integrity where we find immorality, purity where there is impurity, self-control where there is passion, holiness where there is evil desire, generosity where there is greed and truth where there is lie. The third, practical implication, then, is: let us put on Christ.

As we offer our worship this Sunday through the Eucharist, let us ask Christ the wisdom to focus our minds on eternity. The Eucharist is no earthly banquet, rather, an eternal banquet. May be one day be part of this eternal banquet in heaven, Amen.

Fr. Satish Joseph