Do you feel some sympathy for the author of the Book of Wisdom? Have you ever thought that despite all the knowledge, skill, work, and worry you put into something, it still comes to naught?

I know a man who rushed to early retirement at 50. His intention was to get out of the rat race as soon as possible, so he spent the first 30 years after college making a small fortune. It wasn’t an easy fortune.

While visiting castle ruins on a trip to Ireland, I was awestruck: Did the people who had built the crumbling walls all around me know that their toil, craftsmanship, and dreams would decay into nothingness?

I once knew a woman who prided herself on her disdain for worldly goods. She would echo today’s gospel and say, “Life doesn’t consist of possessions; it’s all about relationships.”

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins, and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

Vanity not only distances us from God: it makes us look ridiculous.