COMMON OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

. . . before the evil days come. 

Qoheleth, the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes, would probably have appreciated these verses from the seventeenth-century poet Robert Herrick:

Gather ye rosebuds while
ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that
smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

Qoheleth urged his readers to do the same thing that Herrick counseled: “Let your heart be glad in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 11:9). Why? Because “the evil days” of old age are coming. Soon enough the time will come when you will take “no pleasure” in life, so you might as well enjoy your youth while you can (12:1)!

We might wonder why this passage is in the Bible. It doesn’t sound very inspiring! But perhaps that’s the point. Qoheleth had the courage to describe life as he saw it—life before the coming of Christ, that is. Because we’re here one day and gone the next, Qoheleth saw life as a “vanity of vanities” (Ecclesiastes 12:8).

Contrast this vision to the life that Jesus proclaimed. Where Qoheleth saw darkness and death, Jesus showed that the promise of eternal life in heaven overcomes the darkness. Where Qoheleth saw a life of temporary pleasure that gives way to the futility of death, Jesus proclaimed a message of true, deep-down joy that comes from a living, eternal relationship with his Father. Where Qoheleth told young people to eat, drink, and be merry because that’s all there is, Jesus urged us to live for heaven and the joy that awaits us there.

Today is a good day to ask Jesus to share with you his vision of life. Let his promise of resurrection lift you up from the vanities of life. Let his presence—right here, right now—fill you with joy and sustain you through the hard times. Always remember that you belong to Christ. You were made for eternity!

“Jesus, you are my resurrection! You are my life!”

Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:8
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Luke 9:43-45