1st Reading – Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill,
and yet to another who has not labored over it,
he must leave his property.
This also is vanity and a great misfortune.
For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun?
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest.
This also is vanity.
Ecclesiastes, the fourth of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, is one of the most intriguing books in the Scriptures. It wrestles with life’s deepest paradoxes: the pursuit of meaning, the limits of human understanding, and the fleeting nature of worldly achievements.
Today’s reading laments the injustice of laboring with wisdom and skill, only to have its fruit passed on to another. It sets the stage for the Gospel’s Parable of the Rich Fool, inviting us to reflect more deeply on what endures when possessions and toil fade away.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!
The book of Ecclesiastes opens and closes with this striking refrain (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:8). The phrase “vanity of vanities” is a Hebrew superlative, a way of saying something is utterly vain or fleeting.
The Hebrew word translated as “vanity” (hebel) literally means “vapor” or “breath,” conveying the sense of transience, insubstantiality, or elusiveness. Hence, the verse expresses not nihilism, but a sober reflection on the fragile, passing nature of earthly things.
Qoheleth is not a personal name but a title meaning “assembler” or “teacher.” He speaks as an elder looking back over a life filled with wisdom, wealth, pleasure, and power, yet finds that none of it brought lasting fulfillment. He emphasizes his point with urgency and repetition: All is vanity!
Here is one who has labored with wisdom and knowledge and skill, and yet to another who has not labored over it, he must leave his property. This also is vanity and a great misfortune.
Qoheleth highlights the unsettling reality that hard-earned achievements and possessions may pass to someone who neither worked for nor values them. Death, inevitable and impartial, can render a life’s work seemingly pointless —a “great misfortune” when seen from a merely earthly perspective.
For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored under the sun? All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation; even at night his mind is not at rest. This also is vanity.
The rhetorical question here draws the reader into the existential struggle of one who pours himself into work yet reaps restlessness, sorrow, and fatigue. The irony is sharp: the harder he works, the more tormented he becomes, even in sleep. What’s the point, then, of such striving?
Qoheleth’s lament is not a rejection of life’s goodness, nor a denial of meaning. Rather, it is a confrontation with the limits of worldly pursuits. In a world where death levels all distinctions, toil pursued for its own sake — or for wealth, fame, or legacy — is ultimately hollow. This is especially poignant given that the Old Testament understanding of the afterlife was still developing; hope in eternal life had not yet been fully revealed.
Qoheleth is not preaching meaninglessness but purification, clearing the way for true hope. Earthly pleasures, knowledge, and labor are not evil — they simply cannot bear the weight of our ultimate hope. By exposing their limits, Ecclesiastes points us toward the only one who is not hebel: the eternal, unchanging God.
“The book of Ecclesiastes explains what exactly things are made of, and shows and makes clear to us the vanity of many of the things of the world, so that we might come to understand that the passing things of this life are not worth hungering for, and that we should not devote our attention to useless things or fix our desires on any created thing” (Saint Basil, In Principium Proverbiorum, 1).
2nd Reading – Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
Today we conclude our journey through the Letter to the Colossians. Last Sunday, Paul reflected on the mystery of baptism — our dying and rising with Christ. In this passage, he discusses what that transformation means for daily life, urging us to seek what is above and to put aside earthly attachments.
Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
Paul opens with his characteristic indicative/imperative structure: You have been raised with Christ, so act as risen people.
To “seek what is above” is to orient one’s desires toward the divine — toward the eternal realities where Christ reigns.
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
This alludes to Psalm 110:1, evoking the imagery of Christ enthroned in the heavenly court.
In ancient Near Eastern royal courts, the right hand was the place of highest distinction. To sit there meant sharing in the king’s dignity and power. It was reserved for the most trusted advisor or heir — someone who acted with the king’s delegated authority.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
Paul exhorts believers to orient their minds and lives toward the things of God— those with eternal value. These “things above” belong to the redeemed order and must shape daily conduct.
Earthly things, while not inherently evil, must not dominate the Christian’s mindset.
“Let us think upon the things that are above, on the heavenly things, and meditate on them, where Christ has been lifted up and exalted. But let us forsake the world which is not ours, that we may arrive at the place to which we have been invited. Let us raise up our eyes on high, that we may see the splendor which shall be revealed.” [Aphraatees the Persian Sage (336-345 AD), Treatises 6,1]
For you have died,
Through baptism, the believer dies to sin and their former self, and is raised with Christ. This death is not symbolic; it marks a real ontological shift.
“By baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with Him and rise with Him” (Vatican II, Sacrosanctum Concilium, 6).
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
The believer’s true life is now secure in Christ, though not yet fully revealed. This “hidden” life points to an eschatological mystery: Believers live in the tension of already sharing in Christ’s victory while still awaiting its full manifestation.
The Greek verb used here (kekryptai) is in the perfect passive indicative form, which means this is not a future expectation but an accomplished fact with ongoing implications.
When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
This is a classic example of the “already-but-not-yet” tension of Christian eschatology. Christians already share in Christ’s life, but their glory will only be fully revealed when he returns.
“But what did he go on to say? ‘When Christ appears, your life, then you also will appear with Him in glory.’ So now is the time for groaning, then it will be for rejoicing; now for desiring, then for embracing. What we desire now is not present; but let us not falter in desire; let long, continuous desire be our daily exercise, because the one who made the promise doesn’t cheat us” [Saint Ambrose of Milan (ca. 385 AD), Sermons 350A,4].
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry. Stop lying to one another,
Because believers are joined to Christ, they must reject all that opposes his life within them. Paul lists examples of sinful behaviors that must be cast off, as these distortions of love and truth are incompatible with life in Christ.
Notice that greed is singled out as idolatry; it replaces God with self-centered desire.
since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self,
This language of “taking off” and “putting on” recalls the baptismal rite, where candidates were clothed in new garments, symbolizing new life in Christ.
which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.
Renewal in Christ restores the image of God, obscured by sin. This renewal deepens through knowledge — not merely intellectual knowledge, but relational knowledge of God.
“Seek nothing with exterior gold and bodily adornment; but consider the garment as one worthy to adorn him who is according to the image of his Creator, as the apostle says: ‘Stripping off the old man, and putting on the new, one that is being renewed unto perfect knowledge according to the image of his Creator.’ And he who has put on ‘the heart of mercy, kindness, humility, patience and meekness’ is clothed within and has adorned the inner man.” [Saint Basil the Great (ca. 370 AD), Homilies 17,11]
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
All former divisions — ethnic, religious, cultural, social — are rendered irrelevant in the body of Christ. While these distinctions may persist socially, they no longer define one’s worth or place in the community of faith.
The term translated as “barbarian” is barbaros, which refers to a person who does not know Greek. The Scythian reference is the equivalent of saying “a savage from the north.”
Even the uncivilized have a home in Christ.
but Christ is all and in all.
Christ is the unifying center of the Christian life. He transcends all barriers and is present in every believer.
This isn’t merely moral exhortation; it’s a radical vision of new creation.
Gospel – Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves
but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Since teaching the Lord’s Prayer in last week’s gospel reading, Jesus has cast out a demon, taught a series of parables, and delivered a scathing critique of the Pharisees in the form of six woes. Meanwhile, the crowds following him have swelled to the thousands.
Now, in the presence of this great multitude, Jesus tells The Parable of the Rich Fool — a parable unique to Luke.
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
As Jesus is teaching about trust in God amid persecution, a man interrupts with a personal concern: a family dispute over inheritance. Rather than responding to Jesus’ spiritual instruction, the man appeals to Jesus as a figure of authority who might solve his legal issue (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17).
This request reveals a limited vision. Standing before the Son of God, the man asks not for wisdom or conversion, but for money. He could have said, “Rabbi, help me to be generous,” or “Teach me to value heavenly treasure over earthly gain.” But his heart is fixed on temporal concerns.
He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Though rabbis were often called on to mediate such disputes, Jesus declines. Not because justice is unimportant, but because his mission is not to resolve worldly conflicts — his mission is redemptive. The man sees Jesus as a means to an end, but Jesus refuses to be instrumentalized. He is not a tool for our comfort or success — he is the goal, the source of true life.
Had the man been ready, Jesus might have responded as he did to the rich ruler in Luke 18:22: “Give joyfully and follow me.”
Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable.
Jesus immediately addresses the deeper issue: greed. The parable, drawn from everyday experience, illustrates a spiritual truth: Life is not defined by material abundance.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods
Note how frequently the rich man will use the words “I” and “my.” The man is consumed by self-concern; God and neighbor are absent from his thoughts.
It is legitimate to plan for one’s needs. But when possessions become an end in themselves, they corrode the heart, distorting priorities and undermining charity and justice.
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”
The rich man sees his wealth only as a means to personal indulgence. There is no sense of stewardship, gratitude, or responsibility. His self-satisfaction blinds him to the fleeting nature of life.
But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
The man’s death is not presented as a punishment but as a reality: His life ends, and with it, all his plans. His wealth could not save him, nor could it give his life true meaning. His pursuits, measured only in earthly terms, are shown to be hollow.
This rhetorical question about the fate of his possessions echoes the theme of our first reading. Worldly treasures offer no security.
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”
The man is not condemned for being wealthy, nor is he accused of specific injustices. His error is deeper: He trusts in wealth and neglects what truly matters. He lives as though possessions give life, but they do not.
Jesus isn’t specific here about what matters to God, but the gospel as a whole makes it clear: faith, mercy, generosity, humility, love of God and neighbor.
“A person who lives as if he were to die every day – given that our life is uncertain by definition – will not sin, for good fear extinguishes most of the disorder of our appetites; whereas he who thinks he has a long life ahead of him will easily let himself be dominated by pleasures” [Saint Athanasius (ca. 320-360 AD), Adversus Antigonum]
Connections and Themes
The folly of earthly security. This week’s readings unmask the illusion that material wealth provides lasting security or meaning. Qoheleth mourns the futility of toiling wisely only to pass the fruit of one’s labor to another. His cry, “Vanity of vanities!” is not a rejection of work or the material world but a lament over their inability to fulfill the human spirit’s deepest longings. Jesus intensifies this theme in The Parable of the Rich Fool, who mistakes abundance for peace, only to face death before he can enjoy his stored-up goods.
Earthly goods are not evil — in fact, they are necessary for life — but they are limited. When treated as ultimate ends, they not only fail to satisfy, they distract us from what truly matters. As Paul reminds us in the second reading, our true life is not found in possessions but is “hidden with Christ in God.” To rely on goods for security is to build on sand; only God offers firm ground.
Greed as idolatry. Jesus warns the crowd to guard against greed, not because wealth is inherently sinful, but because the desire for more can subtly displace God from the center of our lives. The rich fool’s self-centered soliloquy — filled with “I” and “my” — reveals a heart turned inward, blind to both God and neighbor. Paul is even more direct: he names greed as a form of idolatry.
To make possessions our refuge is to worship a false god, one that demands everything and offers nothing in return. The first reading exposes the emotional toll of this idolatry: anxiety, restlessness, and sorrow.
Greed is not just a vice; it is a counterfeit religion.
Reordering the heart. If goods cannot save and greed distorts the soul, what hope is there? The readings point out the way to transformation. Paul speaks of putting on the “new self,” renewed in the image of the Creator: a life oriented toward heaven, yet fully engaged in the world. To live in Christ is not to flee from the material world but to reorder our affections within it. We transform what is fleeting by using it for eternal purposes: loving, serving, and giving.
Jesus calls his listeners to be “rich in what matters to God” — a richness measured not in barns or bank accounts but in mercy, humility, and communion with others.
By seeking what is above, we discover that life is not vanity at all, but a sacred opportunity to invest in the things that endure.
Sunday Readings 