23 June | EVERYONE
"Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’" Ecclesiastes 12: 1
The Nicaraguan poet and writer Rubén Darío was called the "prince of Castilian letters" because of his remarkable literary work. Yet his last days were marred by alcoholism, which caused him health problems and psychological crises saturated with mystical exaltation and an obsessive fixation with the idea of death.
Despite the emotional difficulties he faced, he wrote a great deal about life. And on one occasion, he wrote down on paper the following sentence: "Youth, divine treasure, you are leaving never to return! When I want to cry, I do not cry... And sometimes I cry without intending to."
The natural question would be: Is it possible to love life while being in love with death? As absurd and incoherent as it may seem, yes, it is possible. Human existence is permeated with madness from the entrance of sin. People without Christ walk rough paths on the skin of the planet. They are sad souls who go astray in the night of their past that are accompanied by a memory, by a tear that slides through the wrinkles of time.
How many human beings mourn the life that was lost! They ran desperately for life. When in reality, they were just looking for money and pleasure. They thought that with money they could add "flavor" to things. And they found only things. They put their hearts where their treasure was. And their treasure was on Earth, where things are transient and fleeting and where nothing lasts. "Now it is too late," they lament sadly, and walk with their empty hands in the pockets of their souls.
Solomon was one of them. There was a time in his life when he forgot God, wandered through his own ramblings, and squandered his youth. On the other hand, when his years of old age arrived, he affirmed that it is necessary to seek the Lord before life ends.
Take Action
How do you manage your life? Do you work today to make a living tomorrow? Do you invest your time wisely? And, of course, do you allow yourself hours for rest and joyful recreation? Sing "Remember Now Your Creator" (if possible, with your family).