18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C

"Vanity of vanities!"

From the prophet to Psalmist to Paul all the readings for this Sunday
revolve around the worthlessness of the riches of this world. The prophet
accounts worldly gain as vanity, foolishness. The Psalmist, meanwhile asks
for blessings on the work of our hands, though they as well as ourselves
shall pass like the grass. Jesus does not rebuke gain, but greed and
placing this material world ahead of the eternal world to come. Paul
however, gives us the shocking imagery of our own deaths.

Truly, through Baptism, we share as one in the death of Christ. This life
for us, is to be regarded as already over: our lives could be required
this very night. So we are too live, then as ones already dead to this
world, and all our base passions and desires. Our whole former lives are
but rags, and casting them off we put on Christ.

For the Christian there can be no goal except for Heaven, no treasure
except for Grace, no thought except of Christ. All else is vanity,
foolishness, rubbish... and worse. For to chose that which is below over
that which is higher is not mere foolishness, but sinful.

What is it here below that we are placing above the things from above?
Sports before Mass? Yardwork before Confession? Television before prayer?
All these things will pass meaninglessly away.

Only by dying to ourselves can we pass with Christ, through death to
Glory!

All Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen.

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Resources Used:
Readings for Sunday, August 5, 2007 (NAB)
Readings for Sunday, August 5, 2007 (RSV)