The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, September 25, 2004
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Ecclesiastes 11:9--12:8
Psalm 90:3-6,12-14,17
Luke 9:43-45

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Remember Your Creator in the Days of Your Youth

The first reading from Ecclesiastes invites the one who is young and free to indeed rejoice, to follow the ways of the heart and the vision for life with careful understanding that all actions will be judged by God. Choices are best tempered by the understanding that youth which seems rather free and light-hearted gives way to the years of toil, waning strength and health and finally death. One's possessions will likewise deteriorate and all that is passing is equated with vanity.

So what remains if all is passing? What is not vanity?

What remains is what God breathed into being as each soul is given into this mortal state of life. God wills us into life and gives us the span of days to learn to recognize Him, to know Him as Love, to love Him in return and share His work of creation, cultivation and dominion--to protect this creation until He wills that "the life breath returns to God who gave it."

We come from God and return to Him. This life is bestowed for us to freely choose to be united with Him now and forever. This is what is not vanity; rather it is true freedom, true joy and the vision for life that is not passing, but eternal.

O Lord,
teach me to live and responsibly share your work
of creation, cultivation and dominion
so as to remain with you
for eternity.
Amen

- Mary Williams
(wlmsconsul at pdq dot net)

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posted by joachim at 5:07 AM