Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time (Year C)

Eccles 1.2, 2.21-23;
Ps 89;
Col 3.1-5, 9-11;
Lk 12.13-21

In the OT text from the book of Ecclesiastes we heard the well known cry of ‘the Preacher’: Vanity of vanities. All is vanity! This ‘Preacher’ was a spokesman for divine wisdom. The wisdom tradition sought to distill the essence of the mind of God on the whole range of human life and activities. When we hear these passages from the Old Testament, some can seem like a huge, cynical sigh, as human activities are checked off one by one and rubbished as extravagant .

But this is to misunderstand the Preacher, whose purpose is to focus our thoughts and attitudes on God. He is telling us that nothing we do is worthwhile unless our lives are founded on the divine will. If we live by wisdom, then our activities will reflect God’s plan; our daily actions will bring his divine life, his justice and his truth into the world more completely.

The same for Saint Paul, who is known to always direct people’s hearts to higher things. In our second reading at mass today, he emphasised to the Church in Colossae that true values centre on the hope of heaven. Why? Because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. In other words, Saint Paul is saying that in our attitudes to the material things should not affect our spirituality.

It is not up to us to decide what weight to give the material and the spiritual. When St. Paul says you have died, he is referring to baptism. Our baptism has united us with the death and resurrection of Our Lord. If we are to be authentic Christians we must die to self; we must die to worldly vanities and see things through the eyes of Our Saviour. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge.

The Holy Father has emphasised, time and time again, that a true Catholic view of the world, of economics and politics, of globalisation and sustainable development will start from first principles. This Catholic view is likely to disagree with systems based on worldly principles. The Catholic Church does not back communism. But neither does endorse capitalism.

In the Catholic Church, we are also fortunate that there are many different spiritual traditions. Our attachment to God, and witness to him, may be best achieved through withdrawal to the desert, as in the tradition of the early Desert Saints or the spirituality of Mount Carmel. We may fit more appropriately into a liturgical spirituality such as that of the Benedictine tradition, balancing prayer, study and work. Saint Francis de Sales and his “Introduction to the Devout Life” proposes a spirituality for those who find inspiration through their active, yet prayerful, involvement in the busy daily world.

These spiritual approaches all point us towards heaven and the contemplation of God. They all lead us deeper into an understanding of Our Lord’s teaching. They draw us towards heaven, freed from attachment to all that holds us back, including material possessions. True spirituality, real contemplation of God, will enable us to live according to his will, and help fulfil Our Lord’s prayer: thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

God is the source of our life and true knowledge. We must adhere to the Holy Trinity in faith and prayer. The scriptures and the tradition of the Church help us to discern God’s will. The sacraments nourish our souls. The Holy Spirit given to us in our Baptism and Confirmation inspires us. These are the channels through which God shows us his priorities for our own lives and the world in which we live, and by which he energizes us to play our part.

Credit:
This article is written by Rev Fr. Joseph Osho OSJ. Please visit his personal blog @ https://www.blogger.com/profile/10377666931103644634
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