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VANITY OF VANITIES ALL IS VANITY

18 SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

First Reading Ecclesiastes 1:2,2:21-23 Vanity of vanities; all is vanity

Vanity of vanities, the Preacher says. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity! For so it is that a man who has laboured wisely, skilfully and successfully must leave what is his own to someone who has not toiled for it at all. This, too, is vanity and great injustice; for what does he gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights? This, too, is vanity. Readings Reflections

RESPONSORIAL PSALM  O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next

You turn men back to dust and say: ‘Go back, sons of men.’ To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night.

You sweep men away like a dream, like the grass which springs up in the morning. In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades.
 
Second  Reading Colossians 3:1-5,9-11 
You must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him........

Gospel Luke 12:31-21 Fool! This very night your soul will be demanded of you

A man in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’ ‘My friend,’ he replied, ‘who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man’s life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than he needs.’ 

Then he told them a parable: ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.” But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?” So it is when a man stores up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.’

Première lecture Qohèleth 1,3 ;2,21-23 «Que reste-t-il a l’homme ? »

Vanité des vanités, disait Qohèleth. Vanité des vanités, tout est vanité ! Un homme s’est donné de la peine; il est avisé, il s’y connaissait, il a réussi. Et voilà qu’il doit laisser son bien Ã  quelqu’un qui ne s’est donné aucune peine. Cela aussi n’est que vanité, c’est un grand mal ! En effet, que reste-t-il à l’homme de toute la peine et de tous les calculs pour lesquels il se fatigue sous le soleil? Tous ses jours sont autant de souffrances, ses occupations sont autant de tourments : même la nuit, son cÅ“ur n’a pas de repos. Cela aussi n’est que vanité. Lectures Meditation
 

Psaume : (Ps 89, 1) D’âge en âge, Seigneur, tu as été notre refuge.

Tu fais retourner l’homme à la poussière; tu as dit : « Retournez, fils d’Adam ! » Ã€ tes yeux, mille ans sont comme hier, c’est un jour qui s’en va, une heure dans la nuit. 

Tu les as balayés : ce n’est qu’un songe; dès le matin, c’est une herbe changeante : elle fleurit le matin, elle change; le soir, elle est fanée, desséchée.

Deuxième lecture : Colossiens 3,1-5,9-11 
« Recherchez les réalités d’en haut, c’est là  qu’est le Christ » 

Frères, si donc vous êtes ressuscités avec le Christ, recherchez les réalités d’en haut: c’est là qu’est le Christ, assis à la droite de Dieu. Pensez aux réalités d’en haut, non à celles de la  terre. En effet, vous êtes passés par la mort, et votre vie reste cachée avec le Christ en Dieu.

Quand paraîtra le Christ, votre vie, alors vous aussi, vous paraîtrez avec lui dans la gloire.
Faites donc mourir en vous ce qui n’appartient qu’à la terre: débauche, impureté, passion, désir mauvais, et cette soif de posséder, qui est une idolâtrie…..

Évangile : Luc 12,13-21 « Ce que tu auras accumule, qui l’aura? »

En ce temps-là, du milieu de la foule, quelqu’un demanda à Jésus: « Maître, dis à mon frère de partager avec moi notre héritage. » Jésus lui répondit : « Homme, qui donc m’a établi pour être votre juge ou l’arbitre de vos partages ? » Puis, s’adressant à tous : « Gardez-vous bien de toute avidité, car la vie de quelqu’un, même dans l’abondance, ne dépend pas de ce qu’il possède. »

 Et il leur dit cette parabole : « Il y avait un homme riche, dont le domaine avait bien apporté.  Il se demandait: ‘Que vais-je faire ? Car je n’ai pas de place pour mettre ma récolte.’ Puis il se dit : ‘Voici ce que je vais faire : je vais démolir mes greniers, j’en construirai de plus rands et j’y mettrai tout mon blé et tous mes biens. Alors je me dirai à moi-même : Te voilà donc avec de nombreux biens à ta disposition, pour de nombreuses années. Repose-toi, mange, bois, jouis de l’existence.’ Mais Dieu lui dit : ‘Tu es fou : cette nuit même, on va te  redemander ta vie.Et ce que tu auras accumulé, qui l’aura ?’ Voilà ce qui arrive à celui qui amasse pour lui-même, au lieu d’être riche en vue de Dieu. »

Pray the Holy Rosary.

Your Birthday Saint: Saint Ignatius of Layola, Priest. May he pray for you as you celebrate your birthday today.

Prayer: Make us know the shortness of our life  that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants. In the morning, fill us with your love;  we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Let the favour of the Lord be upon us:   give success to the work of our hands.

Prière:  Apprends-nous la vraie mesure de nos jours : que nos cÅ“urs pénètrent la sagesse. Reviens, Seigneur, pourquoi tarder ? Ravise-toi par égard pour tes serviteurs. Rassasie-nous de ton amour au matin, que nous passions nos jours dans la joie et les chants. Que vienne sur nous la douceur du Seigneur notre Dieu ! Consolide pour nous l’ouvrage de nos mains.

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