Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 / Luke 9:7-9
Earth is estimated to be about 4.54 billion years old, plus or minus about 50 million years.
In contrast, the earliest known humans lived about 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago.
So the time of existence of human beings is hardly a fraction compared to the age of the earth.
That should make us realise that the earth and nature has been around much much longer than human beings have been.
To say the least, human beings, despite their intelligence and abilities, should respect the earth and the law of nature.
But from the history of humanity, that isn't often the case as human beings tend to be masters of the earth instead of being stewards of God's creation.
So the 1st reading begins with "vanity of vanities" and it poses this question: For all his toil, his toil under the sun, what does man gain by it?
Psalm 90:10 has this to say: Seventy years is the span of our days,or eighty if we are strong. And most of these are toil and pain.They pass swiftly and we are gone.
As one generation comes and goes, the Responsorial Psalm has a prayer to teach us: O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next.
Yes, we will eventually go back to the Lord, and with that in mind, let our lives not be lived in vain but in giving glory to the Lord, for He is our refuge.