Vanity of vanities
18th Sunday C
Cobh
3 August 2025
My friends,
The Nobel Prize winner Ivar Giaever died recently at the age of 96. He got his Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on superconductors. Speaking once to a reporter he observed that a Novel Prize could indicate good fortune rather than brains. “Some winners are smart, some are average and a few are dumb.” And so, he concluded in his book in 2016, “Life is not fair and I for one am happy about that.”
I confess I had never heard of him ‘till I read his obituary which concluded with that quote, “Life is not fair and I for one am happy about that.” Clearly, he considered luck was on his side.
His observation comes to mind as we all invited in today’s readings how we might view and understand our life as we go through challenges that do not seem fair or just. It is well captured in the opening lines from the Book of Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” There is a certain lack of sense or meaning when the good is not rewarded and evil seems to thrive.
The Gospel verses from St. Luke is quite directive as Jesus points out.
“Watch and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a person’s life is not made secure by what he/she owns, even when they have more than their needs.”
Then he tells the parable of the rich man who kept storing ever more only to be taken quickly. “Fool! This very night, demand will be made for your soul.”
This is the dilemma that all of us live with, on the one hand securing enough for our needs of food, clothes and shelter and the other not to be greedy in the face of other’s needs,
St. Paul writing to the Colossians warns them against various sinful ways, but he warns especially against greed which is the same as worshipping a false good – he puts lying with it.
For the disciple who seeks to walk the way with the Lord the temptations to self-indulgence are enormous – the lure of constant messaging to self-gratification are overwhelming for so many so that they are enticed into addictive thinking and behaviour.
We seem to have given up almost on the proliferation of pornography and the unbelievably destructive impact that it has on relationships – young and not so young minds are being poisoned by a self-indulgence that has become pathological. This has had a horrific impact by way of domestic violence. This goes beyond individual moral ethics to a society as a whole. A similar pattern prevails re drug use especially cocaine.
In a time of prosperity like ours, there are clearly different outcomes – the rising tide doesn’t lift all boats. Our society will always have those who are poor and disadvantaged. Great care will be required to meet the needs that have emerged already. Politicians and others in leadership have an onerous responsibility to meet these needs especially ‘round families.
On a personal spiritual level, we are faced with the choice between what we need and what we want. We have to be vigilant that we are not sucked into a mindset of acquisition beyond our need.
“Waste not want not” – is the old adage. It is still true.
