Daily Mass Readings – Thursday, 24 September 2026

2 Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.

3 What hath a man more of all his labour, that he taketh under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth standeth for ever.

5 The sun riseth, and goeth down, and returneth to his place: and there rising again,

6 Maketh his round by the south, and turneth again to the north: the spirit goeth forward surveying all places round about, and returneth to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea doth not overflow: unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, to flow again.

8 All things are hard: man cannot explain them by word. The eye is not filled with seeing, neither is the ear filled with hearing.

9 What is it that hath been? the same thing that shall be. What is it that hath been done? the same that shall be done.

10 Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end.

R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

3 Turn not man away to be brought low: and thou hast said: Be converted, O ye sons of men.

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, which is past. And as a watch in the night,

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

5 Things that are counted nothing, shall their years be.

6 In the morning man shall grow up like grass; in the morning he shall flourish and pass away: in the evening he shall fall, grow dry, and wither.

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

12 Can number thy wrath? So make thy right hand known: and men learned in heart, in wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord, how long? and be entreated in favour of thy servants.

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

14 We are filled in the morning with thy mercy: and we have rejoiced, and are delighted all our days.

17bc Direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct.

R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

6 I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

7 Now Herod, the tetrarch, heard of all things that were done by him; and he was in a doubt, because it was said

8 By some, that John was risen from the dead: but by other some, that Elias had appeared; and by others, that one of the old prophets was risen again.

9 And Herod said: John I have beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him.

Ecclesiastes looks honestly at life under the sun: generations pass, the earth remains, rivers return to the sea, and human labor can seem caught in an endless cycle. Our eyes are never satisfied with seeing, and what appears new soon becomes part of what has already been. The psalm gives the answer to this weariness: “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.” Human life is brief and changing, but God remains faithful. He teaches us to number our days wisely and asks that he direct the work of our hands.

Herod hears about Jesus and is troubled by uncertainty. He has questions and seeks to see him, yet the Gospel does not show that curiosity becoming faith. Jesus is more than another figure from the past, more than a repetition of what has been. He is the way, the truth, and the life—the one who leads us to the Father. We can bring our questions to him, but we must allow his truth to change us. When our work feels repetitive or our lives seem fragile, Christ gives them a direction that time alone cannot provide.

Lord God, you remain our refuge through every age, while our days pass like grass in the morning. Teach us to receive our time as a gift and to live with wisdom rather than chasing what cannot last. When uncertainty rises in us, lead us beyond mere curiosity into trust. Jesus, be our way, our truth, and our life. Direct the work of our hands, purify our desires, and help us recognize your presence instead of seeking signs that leave us unchanged. May your mercy fill our days and bring our hearts safely to the Father. Amen.