September 28, 2002

The Book of Ecclesiastes or as it is called in Hebrew, Qoheleth, is a book filled with human emotion and misery. It begins by calling all of life and all of its attributes as vanities--uselessness. It is the prayer of a very desperate soul.

A man who one day oppressed with grief and anxiety prostrated himself before God's altar--now there's one lesson--how many people today no loner kneel before the tabernacle much less prostrate themselves. As he caressed the floor in desperation, he prayed from deep within himself: If only I knew that I should persevere to the end of my life. And he heard within himself, the voice of the Divine answer: What would you do if you knew you would persevere? Do now what you would do then, and you will be secure.

Comforted and strengthened he renewed his commitments to do the will of God and his anxiety diminished. Instead of anxiously worrying about what could be, he labored to understand what the acceptable will was for him in the present moment.

How often do we let anxiety overwhelm us? How often do we find ourselves entangled in the shoulda-coulda-wouda tree that strangles off our life because we are afraid to commit it to the flames?

St. Wenceslaus, martyred for the faith by the jealous rage of his own brother or St. Lawrence Ruiz and 128 others martyred in 19th century Korea were able to accept the grace of martyrdom because they were focused on the present and not on entanglements.

Perhaps another metaphor might help. For many of us that morning cup of coffee is like a sacred ritual. We have to filler up in order to get started in face of whatever challenges the day might present. Wouldn't it be more empowering if we combined with the cup of coffee the words of today's psalm: "Fill us at daybreak with your kindness that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days."

And throughout the day be empowered to pour ourselves into humble service; no matter what God asks of us without running back to the coudda-shoudda-woudda tree. If we drink deeply of this Divine will that abides within us, we live a virtuous life instead of an anxious life.

How much more God-like is patience compared with revenge; meekness compared with anger; generosity compared with avarice; sobriety compared with dissipation. Virtues are the delight of the soul while anxieties leave them weary and distraught, enmeshed in miseries.