Image by Beautiful Light Photography
Enjoy life with the wife you love, all the days of the vain life granted you under the sun. This is your lot in life, for the toil of your labors under the sun.
In Chapter 4, he mentioned the importance of friendship and now he discusses the importance of a spouse. Interestingly, he only mentions wife in the singular though it was well known that he had many wives.
Some scholars believe that the wisdom Solomon gained led him to grasp the fulfillment and meaning of a monogamous marriage. Unlike friendship, marriage is honored as a sacrament as it is a picture of God’s relationship with the Church. God’s faithfulness, intimacy, and affection towards the Church should be mirrored in your own marital relationship Hosea 2:19-20
Although the teacher reiterates our common destiny-death Ecclesiastes 9:12- it would be unwise to take it with the carpe diem attitude so commonly described in books and movies. Moses, David, and the Disciples all took a different approach to seizing the day-by letting go of their perceived direction of life, and totally and completely following the Lord.
Reflect: For married women: how can you work to make your marriage more like Christ’s love for the Church? For unmarried women: What are some additional qualities in Christ’s marital relationship with the Church that you would like to see in your own marriage someday?
Act: Read about a saint who practiced a carpe diem attitude for the Lord.
