Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 27, 2018
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1.2-11
2Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.3What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?4A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.5The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.6The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.7All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.8All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.9What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.10Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us.11There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.
Psalm 90
1Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.3You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!"4For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.5You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.7For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.8You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.9For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.10The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.11Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.13Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.16Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Gospel: Luke 9.7-9
7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,8by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.9Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and the human search for meaning. In the first reading from Ecclesiastes, we hear the familiar refrain, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." The author laments the cyclical and repetitive nature of life, where generations come and go, and the earth remains unchanged. The sun rises and sets, rivers flow to the sea and return, yet humanity struggles to find lasting fulfillment. This passage reminds us that, despite our efforts and labors, much of what we experience in life is transient and unsatisfying. It challenges us to look beyond the surface level and seek deeper meaning.
In the Gospel, we encounter Herod, a man consumed by doubt and curiosity. He has heard of Jesus' works, but he is unsure who Jesus is. Some think Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead, others believe he is Elijah or one of the prophets of old. Herod's confusion reflects the spiritual blindness of those who cannot see beyond the immediate and the familiar. Like the author of Ecclesiastes, Herod is trapped in a cycle of uncertainty, unable to recognize the truth standing before him. This passage calls us to examine our own hearts and ask: Are we, like Herod, so focused on the temporary and the familiar that we fail to see the extraordinary work of God in our midst?
These readings remind us that true fulfillment and understanding come not from chasing the fleeting things of this world but from seeking the eternal and the divine. Ecclesiastes urges us to look beyond the vanity of life and find meaning in God, who is unchanging and everlasting. The Gospel challenges us to open our hearts and minds to the possibility of encountering God in unexpected ways. Let us not be like Herod, stuck in a cycle of doubt and confusion. Instead, let us seek the truth with humility and faith, knowing that only in God will we find the peace and fulfillment we so deeply desire.