But of others, there is no memory, for when they ceased, they ceased. And they are as though they had not lived…

Sirach will end his book singing the praises of the great ancestors of Israel. Later he will sing the praises, one by one, of some of the prominent personalities of the Hebrew Testament. Today, however, he reminds us of those who have given us little to remember them for. He speaks of those countless people who have lived down through the ages of whom nothing is known, and everything is forgotten.

However, the author starts by reminding us that a far greater number have left no memories behind. It was as if they never existed. The vast majority to be your disciple of the human race falls into this category, and the question the liturgy raises for us of today is whether we will be among them when we pass on, remembered only by some few relatives and friends we made in life.

Perhaps today is an opportunity for us to recall with gratitude our ancestors in the faith who handed on the cultural and religious treasures of earlier ages. It is also a time to ask what we have done to give people something worth remembering. In every Eucharist, we pray that our communion will make us one body, one spirit in Christ. We have been baptized so that we can make a difference. Every Mass ends with the reminder that God expects us to live so that our lives give glory and praise to God.

What will people be able to put on our tombstones or write in our obituary? How hard do I try to make a difference?

Let Us Pray:

O Jesus, keep me mindful that you expect me to be your disciple to bring your love and knowledge of God to others.