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The first verse of today's Responsorial Psalm speaks of joy and salvation, thanksgiving and songs to the Lord. This joyful mood is in sharp contrast to the morose and unsmiling words of Qoheleth in the first reading. We wonder how such pessimism could be the word of God! Perhaps, however, we do Qoheleth an injustice by merely taking his words at face value. His book is counted among the Wisdom Books, and it is in that context that we can listen to him with different ears and a more responding heart. The conjunction of this passage from his book with the other readings today points the way to a deeper understanding of the wisdom of what he has to say. Thus we may see that he is showing us the other side of St Paul's exhortation: You must look for the things that are in heaven...Let your hearts be on heavenly things not on the things that are on earth". If we can imagine Qoheleth reading St Paul, we will hear him say, possibly with a sigh: "Yes, besides God all is vanity. To be so earthbound as to lose the sight of heaven is the greatest of all futilities". Lord, give me the grace to set all my heart on heaven, loving You above all things. |
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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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The awareness that only God is the master of human life may orientate the decisions of the legislators and leaders of nations
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Evidence shows with increasing clarity how policies and laws opposed to life are causing societies to decline morally, demographically and economically. The encyclical Evangelium Vitae makes the urgent appeal "that we offer this world of ours new signs of hope, and work to ensure that justice and solidarity will increase and that a new culture of human life will be affirmed, for the building of an authentic civilisation of truth and love". Thus there is no reason for a defeatist mentality which claims that laws opposed to the right of life are inevitable. On the contrary, they are a seed of corruption for society and its foundations. The civil and moral conscience cannot accept this false inevitability. The relationship between the civil and moral law deserves great attention because of the growing importance they are destined to have in the restoration of social life. Lawmakers are asked to renew their commitment to change unjust laws that legitimise or tolerate such violence. The changing of laws must be preceded and accompanied by the changing of mentalities and morals on a vast scale. The Church cannot spare any effort nor can she accept negligence or guilty silence. | |
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