TO KNOW THE SHORTNESS OF OUR LIFE

XVIII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Luke 12:13-21

We may say that the parable of the rich man pictures our society. He worked all his life to become not only rich, but very rich, until he achieved his goal. He was a lonely man, who lived only for himself, forgetting that he could not do it alone. He grabbed everything, becoming rich and enjoying life, never thinking about the life of all those who contributed to his wealth.

The dream of this rich man is the dream of today’s world, our capitalist world: to become the most rich and the most powerful, to occupy the first position and to become famous. In their struggle to become famous, people are ready to do anything, even the most strange things. People are hungry and thirsty for riches, power, fame and glory, and each one cares for himself only, claiming his own rights and trampling upon the rights of all the others. We do not speak of responsibilities or of sharing and contributing to the wellbeing of the others. In our capitalist world, we expect to have a continuous growth and to get bigger profits. Everybody wants more and more, forgetting that the resources are limited as we ourselves are limited.

In the parable, God calls the rich man a fool, because of putting all his trust in wealth, but wealth does not last and our lives may be cut short at any time. In the end, we may say that the rich man led a useless and meaningless life.

In the Old Testament, there is a special book - Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) - so different from all other books, that we may be surprised how it came to be accepted into the list of the Holy Scriptures. Qoheleth presents a very different attitude from that of the rich man, asking: “What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights?” (Ecc 2:22). And the answer comes without hesitation: All is vanity!

Qoheleth teaches us to look at life with realism, without dreams and false hopes. The idea so prevalent today that nothing is impossible and the daring of doing everything that is possible, crossing all boundaries and jumping over all fences - to prove ourselves and to satisfy our ego - is leading the world to self-destruction. And Qoheleth helps us to see that all this is vanity. And indeed there is plenty of vanity in people pursuing useless endeavours, becoming rich and powerful, but unable to find rest and peace in their hearts.

If we want to live, we must accept life with its weaknesses and shortcomings. We must accept our mortality. And the we can live in peace with ourselves and with the world around us.

The responsorial psalm portrays a similar attitude:

"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. 

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

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.” (Ps 89:3-6,12-14,17)