The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they continue to flow. All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been, in the ages before us. The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.
I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
I said to myself, ‘I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.’ And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.
Commentary
Love is a good disposition of the soul, according to which one prefers no creature to the knowledge of God. It is impossible to attain a lasting possession of this love if one has any attachment to earthly things. He who loves God prefers knowledge of him to all things made by him; and by desire ceaselessly devotes himself to it. If all things have been made by God and for God, he is nobler than all the things made by him; he who deserts God, the incomparably nobler, and devotes himself to inferior things shows that he prefers before God the things made by him. He that loves me, says the Lord, will keep my commandments; and this is my commandment that you love one another. He therefore who does not love his neighbour does not keep the commandment. Nor is he that does not keep the commandment able to love the Lord. Happy the one who is able to love all people equally. He that loves God most certainly also loves his neighbour. Such a man cannot keep money, but, God-like, distributes it, giving to each one in need. He that in imitation of God does almsdeeds knows no difference between evil and good, just and unjust, in regard to the needs of the body, but distributes equally to all according to their need, even though for his good intention he prefers the virtuous to the bad. Not only by the distribution of money is a charitable intention made manifest; no, far rather by the distribution of the word of God and physical service of others. He that genuinely renounces worldly affairs and unfeignedly serves his neighbour out of love, quickly is freed from every passion and is made partaker of divine love and knowledge. He that has made divine love his possession has no labour in following after the Lord his God, as Jeremiah says; rather, he bears nobly every hardship, every rebuke and insult, thinking no evil at all of anyone. Do not say – so Jeremiah – that you are the Lord’s temple. Nor say: Mere faith in our lord Jesus Christ can save me. For this is ineffective unless you also possess love for him through good works. As to mere believing: the devils also believe and tremble. The work of love is the intentional doing of good to one’s neighbour and long-suffering and patience; also the use of things in due measure.(St. Maximus the Confessor)
Musical Selection
Vanitas, vanitatum, et omnia vanitas.
Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity.
Collect
God of loving-kindness, enlighten the hearts of your children, who are cleansed by Lenten penance. Be not deaf to our prayer, for it is you who awaken within us the very desire to serve you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.