In today’s first reading Qoheleth declares: “Vanity of vanities…All things are vanity!” The Hebrew word Qoheleth means “speaker” or “preacher.” His message seems to be very pessimistic:
“Vanity of vanities…vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!”
“What profit has man for all his labor under the sun?”
“What has been, that will be; what has a been done, that will be done.”
“Nothing is new under the sun”
While this is just one book in the Bible it does express a feeling that most of us have had: “What the use…?”
The “Preacher” (Qoheleth) not only taps into genuine human feelings but also taps into a common longing that all of us have had: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor is the ear satisfied with hearing.” What is it that we long to see and long to hear? St. Augustine in his “Confessions” answers this question: “…you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” (quia fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te). We long to see God and to hear the voice of God.
God sent his Son into the world to satisfy this longing. Jesus is the true voice of God: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). Jesus satisfies our longing to see God:
“Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9).
Unlike Qoheleth we are called to be optimist even while recognizing the fragility of our life. We are filled with hope and expectation because we know that Jesus and God the Father are with us each day:
“Then Jesus said to them…And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
“You are indeed Holy and to be glorified, O God, who love the human race and who always walk with us on the journey of life.” (Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs IV).
Image: “Our holy father Augustine” by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.