[ Today's Readings ]
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Jesus is inviting us to look beyond the present so that we can see things in the light of eternity. We can't just live for the here and now, following the ways of our heart and the vision of our eyes. The days of youth quickly depart we cannot live as though they will last forever. We need to live for something more than moment to moment existence.
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
This can be hard to understand when times are good.
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
We can even fixate on the individual deeds of Jesus and forget about the plan. His plan is to liberate us from the problems of sin and death. The plan is a pilgrimage from the temporary and time-bound to the eternal and permanent. It is about more than this or that consolation.
If we only live for the moment we tend to shun the difficult parts of that pilgrimage. We try to make lasting homes where we are only travelers. We avoid suffering and seek comfort. While there is nothing wrong with comfort it must not cause us to lose sight of our destination.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
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