Daily Reflection – Sep 22, 2016
Thursday 22 September 2016
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11
Responsorial Psalm:
In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge
Psalm 89(90):3-6, 12-14, 17
Gospel Reading: Luke 9:7-9
Today’s Note: Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel Reading:
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
Reflection:
Nothing is new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
Sixty years ago, the song “Que Sera, Sera” burst onto the scene: “Whatever will be, will be.” It’s the same note that the writer of Ecclesiastes originally sounded centuries ago as he contemplated the same old sameness of human existence.
Don’t you sometimes feel that way too? Nothing new happens; it’s the same old routine. We see new technologies and new discoveries all around us, but nothing changes. We may have the latest smartphone or the newest television, but it doesn’t make a dent in who we are or how we relate to other people.
What the writer of Ecclesiastes couldn’t yet see, and we sometimes fail to see, is that there really is something new “under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). All because of Jesus!
Because of his resurrection, we can start each day in hope. Matthew was collecting taxes, and Nathanael was lying under a tree when Jesus called them and changed their lives forever. As he did for them, so he does for you. He is calling you out of the dullness of a life that ends with death and inviting you into a new life with far wider horizons, a life that offers you greater and greater transformation into his image.
The resurrection changes everything. It’s not just an article of our faith; it is a promise that can become the foundation of our hope and joy. It’s also something we can begin to experience here and now as we ask the Holy Spirit to give us a taste of Jesus’ love.
The author of Ecclesiastes looked out on a bleak landscape and saw nothing worth getting excited about. All he saw was a meaningless endless cycle of life and death, leading to nothing. That doesn’t have to be your vision! Today may look like every other Thursday of your life, but in God’s eyes, it is brimming with potential. Jesus has new things he wants to show you. He has new areas of your life in which you can experience his love and compassion, wisdom and joy.
Every day brings new opportunities—because every day brings new challenges. Every day, there absolutely is something new under the sun!
“Jesus, thank you for the resurrection. Help me find joy in knowing that I belong to you forever.”
