Remember Your Creator: The Urgency of Eternal Life

Eccl 11:9—12:8, Psalm: 89, Lk 9:43b-45

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The Word of God today presents us with a stark and sobering meditation. The Book of Ecclesiastes urges us to “remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” before the years of decline come. The Gospel warns of the suffering of the Son of Man. Both readings call us to live with a sense of urgency, not in fear, but in the light of eternity.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, the Teacher reflects on the vanity of life, the fleeting nature of our days, and the inevitability of death. He says, “Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity!” He describes the aging body, the fading strength, the failing sight, the diminishing joy. He urges us to “remember your Creator” before the silver cord is snapped, before the golden bowl is broken, before the dust returns to the earth. This is not a call to despair; it is a call to wisdom. It is a call to live with the awareness that our lives are short, that our days are numbered, and that we will be judged by the One who made us.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks of His own suffering. “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” The disciples do not understand. They are afraid to ask Him. The glory of the Transfiguration is still fresh in their minds, but Jesus is speaking of the Cross. He is calling them—and us—to live with a sense of urgency, to recognize that the path to glory is through suffering, and that the time for discipleship is now.

The connection between the readings is the urgency of our calling. Ecclesiastes calls us to remember our Creator before the days of trouble come. Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Both call us to live with a sense of purpose, a sense of urgency, a sense of the eternal. The world tells us to live for the moment, to seek pleasure, to avoid suffering. But the Word of God tells us to live for eternity, to embrace the cross, and to follow Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI, reflecting on the urgency of life, said, “Life is short, and we must live it in the light of eternity.” Pope Francis has said, “The Lord invites us to live in the present, but with our eyes fixed on the future.”

What does this mean for us? We are called to remember our Creator in the days of our youth—and in the days of our old age. We are called to live with the awareness that our lives are short and that we will one day stand before God. We are called to take up our cross daily and follow Christ, knowing that the path to glory is through suffering.

Today, let us examine our hearts. Are we living with a sense of urgency? Are we remembering our Creator? Are we embracing the cross? Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to live in the light of eternity, to follow Him faithfully, and to trust in His mercy. For the days are short, and the time is now. Amen.

May God bless you all!