The word "vanity" sounds like a refrain throughout the Book of Ecclesiastes. Perhaps we see this book as very pessimistic. How should we have any joy or hope when all is vanity?

Nevertheless, meditating upon today's first reading we discover that Ecclesiastes is more realistic than pessimistic. He sees human life as it is filled with joy and sorrow, laughter and pain. He knows that youth passes very quickly and old age brings with itself burden of growing weak.

Ecclesiastes gives wonderful advice to the young and the old. This priceless advice is to trust in the Lord and to live in accordance to His law. It is obedience to God's law that helps us to master our passions and desires when we are young. It is trust in the Lord that makes us stronger to face challenges of being old and feeble. Only with God's guidance we don't waste our life when young. Only through God's grace we don't despair when we face the coming death.

The first reading matches also very well the situation from today's Gospel passage. At the time of triumph and admiration from the crowds Jesus tells His disciples about His coming passion and death. They have difficulties to accept that. However, our Christian realism means that at the hour of triumph we are prepared for the coming defeat and we see approaching victory at the time of defeat.