As we approach the end of the Church’s liturgical year, our readings begin to focus on the end times. Today’s readings have a strange feel to them. The first reading (Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8) presents a scene where the narrator appears to be summing up the wisdom he has learned during a wise life. In the Gospel reading (Luke 9:43-45), Jesus tells the apostles to pay attention to everything He has taught them. He tells them that He isn’t going to be with them much longer. That he will be handed over to men. Jesus is clear. Even so, the apostles do not understand what he is trying to tell them. They do not understand that He is going to be killed.
Ecclesiastes instructs his students to enjoy their youth while they have it. While doing so, they are told to be aware that God will bring judgment for their actions. The message is upbeat in the beginning, but also turns more solemn – “put away trouble from your presence, because the dawn of youth is fleeting.” Practical and truthful, he does not shy away from reality. He has learned to no longer let his days slip by without meaning.
That made me think and I was struck by how much of my every-day slides by, sometimes without meaning. Each week I wonder where the time has gone. When I was younger, I wanted time to fly, but now I wish it would slow down a bit. This might be why I feel a little uncomfortable listening to the things Ecclesiastes is telling me. Rushing from one moment to the next is our standard practice. Our natural cycle relating to time is to ask the question, where do I have to be next; and the days and the weeks run together. Ecclesiastes is inviting us to reconsider.
I have often said in these Daily Reflections that we should be living in the present moment. Some people in our western culture have heard of the idea, but mostly we understand being busy. So the invitation, as Ecclesiastes gives us, to consider the end of our lives or even the end of time, is counter cultural. This might be why we feel some discomfort in reading today’s invitation, which asks us to consider life’s ending point. The reading in Ecclesiastes tells us to create some slowing down to see the world through different lenses. He does so by using many examples, one of which describes listening to songbirds: “One waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed.” I can relate to this. I like to sit on my patio overlooking the garden just to listen to the voices of the delta.
Unlike some readings where you must go back and read it a few times, because it doesn’t hold your interest, this author makes you pay attention, because it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve read before. At the end we hear the familiar line spoken during the Lenten Season, “remember, mankind, that you are dust and into dust you shall return.” You realize that life as we know it one day will end. The end of Ecclesiastes, points towards the day when Jesus will come and make a new covenant with humankind. At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus is asking the Apostles to be aware that He will not be living among them in the flesh much longer.
As we consider today’s readings, we are looking through the eyes of seasoned teachers: both Ecclesiastes and Jesus; As we listen to the hum of our everyday lives, let us consider tuning in to their wisdom today. In the end, we will not be judged on how busy we kept ourselves throughout our life. Living in the present moment allows us to consider giving thanks to God for each moment we are here.
Our Psalm today (Psalm 90) reminds us that, “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge”. It reminds us that in every situation, the Lord has traveled with us and given us insight. From sorrow can come hope and wisdom, from joy can come appreciation and recognition of gifts given to be shared. God will give us insight, understanding, the ability to forgive, or move in a new direction, if we are not afraid to ask God to give us what we need and then to “pay attention” to what happens next.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!