Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – 03rd August 2025
Today’s liturgy offers us a powerful reflection on the meaning of life, the value of our labour, and the identity we are called to embrace in Christ. The readings challenge us with a fundamental question: What are we living for? And what happens if we forget our soul in the process?
In the first reading, the author of Ecclesiastes begins with a harsh and almost shocking statement: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” He doesn’t mean that life has no meaning, but rather that everything disconnected from God – our work, wealth, success – ultimately proves empty.
Imagine a man who builds a successful company over 40 years. He sacrifices family, health, prayer, and peace of mind. When he retires, his children put him in a nursing home and sell everything. He dies with a deep regret: he lost what mattered most.
This is what Ecclesiastes warns us about: not work itself, but the emptiness of a life lived without God.