for September 26
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week of Ordinary Time

There’s a whiff of finality if not futility about today’s readings. The first reading is from the end of Ecclesiastes, a book that presents the teaching of a wise man called Qoheleth on the nature of human life. His theme is summed up in the last verse of his discourse in the same words he began with: “Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!” The psalm reminds us that human beings are destined to return to dust. Like the new grass of dawn, by evening we wilt and fade. And in the Gospel passage, in the midst of dazzling his disciples with deeds that demonstrate his authority, Jesus categorically tells his disciples that he “will be handed over to men” or, in the words of another translation, “betrayed into human hands.” It all seems rather dark and discouraging.

Yet there is a thread that casts light on the darkness. “Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth,” says Qoheleth. “Follow the ways of your heart, the vision of your eyes.” Life can be joyful. There are delights to be enjoyed and passion to be experienced. The psalmist agrees.  “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness [O Lord] that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.” God safeguards our well-being and supports our endeavors. “And may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us!” Jesus incarnates God’s care for us.  His disciples bask in his glory.  Just the day before today’s passage they have witnessed his transfiguration and are content in the blessings of his presence.

The richness we can find in life is real. Fulfilling relationships, satisfying work, making a difference in the world are good things. The darkness seeps in if the good of this life is not grounded in the greater good of eternal life. Eternal life is already within us. It is the spirit that animates our material lives. The material is finite, and its glory does fade. If our pursuits are focused on worldly gain or acclaim without tapping into the spirit, the satisfaction they give us will also fade. Our physical capacities inevitably diminish. Without a sense of greater purpose, our spirits will be trapped in the transient material world and our whole selves will seem to diminish. This is the vanity Qoheleth warns about. Perhaps he himself struggled with it.

Jesus found richness in human life. He formed deep relationships. He was pleased to make people’s lives better through his healing and teaching. But he was clear that his human life was grounded in the spirit through which he had become human and that his shameful suffering and death was not a diminishment of his being. For his disciples at this point in the Gospel, however, such a turn of events did not make sense. They did not come to understand until after the resurrection.

We believers know what the disciples did not. But how well do we understand? Jesus speaks to us as well. He invites us to listen to him, to pay attention to the movements of the spirit in our lives and let it guide us. This is also the prayer of the psalmist: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”
—Christine Szczepanowski

Today’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.