18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

All things are vanity according to our first reading taken from Ecclesiastes 1. It means that at the end of our life here on earth, everything we do, everything we have, everything we are, are vanity.  The one who has many achievements in life in comparison with one who has not achieved anything, dies without bringing anything. Both end up with worms in their decaying bodies. The question is, what is the difference between being good and being bad in this life if both suffer the same consequences in death? 

Well, as Psalm 90 states, "You turn man back to dust, saying, 'Return, O children of men.' For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night", it reveals that the end of our life here on earth is not an end in vain. The Psalm reminds us that there is God who knows when our life shall end and even how it shall end. If therefore there is God, then whatever we do, whatever we have, whoever we are matters as we are accountable to Him with what He has given us while here on earth. Yes, we cannot bring what we have here on earth when we face death. But whatever we do with what we have is important for our life after death. This is made clear when we read the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians 3:1-11 as it says, "If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." So what we do, what we have and who we are here on earth is given weight for our life after death. When we do good things, though our body lies in death just like those bodies of bad people who die, we have this hope that we shall rise again and gain our eternal reward in heaven. By this, we do not share the same consequence with those bad people.

In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus reminds us not to lay up treasure for ourselves for such act does not make us rich toward God. It means we have to consider that everything we do, everything we have, everything we are is from God and for God. Our happiness lies in living, in being and in doing what is pleasing to God. Our life here on earth points towards our life in heaven as we use our life for a divine purpose. Life is in vain only when no God is in our vein. Amen.