Homily Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time (Ecclesiastes: 1:2-11) “I Know Nothing, Nothing!”
Homily Twenty-Fifth Thursday of Ordinary Time (Ecclesiastes: 1:2-11) “I Know Nothing, Nothing!”
Skepticism is a philosophy that would say it is hard to be sure of any knowledge. We are incapable of understanding. This philosophy was first espoused in ancient Greece.
The Greeks were the predominant power in the Mediterranean world shortly before the time of Christ. Many Jews had been dispersed throughout the known world when Judah and Israel fell to Assyria and the Babylonians. The Greeks also conquered Israel. Many Jews lived in areas dominated by the Greeks.
Because of all this there is little wonder that Jewish Scriptures like Book of Ecclesiastes were influenced by Greek thinking. We have the passage we read today that reflects a sense of skepticism.
But there is a difference in Jewish skepticism. There is a feeling that there is a lot that human beings can’t know. We are limited in our intellectual capacity. When we look at our vast complex universe, we can feel very small and insignificant.
The difference in Jewish skepticism was there was also a belief that there was a supreme being who was all knowing. Of course, that was God. When we contemplate our divine creator and all that he made we have a sensation of awe and fear of the Lord.
Our perception is that our powerful God uses his knowledge for good. God is especially concerned with our good. God loves us and wants only what is best for us. We can be confident of all this. Faith tells us it is never in doubt.
Reflection Questions:
- Am I skeptical about the future right now? Do human beings know enough to solve the great problems of our world?
- Do I feel small and insignificant when I stand before the Lord? Is that a good feeling or a bad feeling?
Dear Parishioners,
We are coming to the end of our Friday Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We are asking Jesus to look with compassion on our troubled world. We will fast and pray and abstain once more tomorrow.
We entered a contract for the remodeling of the first floor of the Lee Center into living space for the priests. The new garage for the priest’s living space is almost complete. This is part of the Tier II goal of our Today, Tomorrow, Together campaign. I thank all those who have made the capital projects we are completing possible.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you.
Fr. Mark