The writer of our first reading lived around 200 BC, too early for him to have had a clear belief in life after death. His adherence to the noble tradition of Jewish faith in God and His ethical teachings, however, were uncompromisingly high. Nevertheless, the writer believed that life was good and was meant to be enjoyed. Life was short, a gift of God and should be lived with zest.

The writer of the Responsorial Psalm asks God to be merciful enough to balance our miseries with an equal number of happy events.

In the Gospel, Jesus advised His disciples not to be excited by the miracle He had just worked. He warned them that He would have to undergo a very severe test. They were so scared that they couldn't even ask Him what it might be. When they saw Jesus on the cross, they must have wondered what life was all about. Clarity would come only after Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus, that suffering for the right cause could be the prelude to a meaningful and joyful life, even here.