Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Luke 9:7-9
When we reflect on our pride and ego, the one thing that we can say is that we struggle with them.
The obvious understanding is that we try to control our pride and ego so as not to let them get into the way of our character and personality.
So we try to be humble, so as to be a pleasant person and get along well with others, and we can even get rather anxious trying to be a pleasant person.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that there are people who are fixated or engrossed in boosting their pride and ego.
So they will seek attention and want the limelight on them.
As the first reading puts it so profoundly, pride and ego are the vanity of vanities.
It is like the rivers all go into the sea, and yet the sea is never filled, and still the rivers continue to go into the sea.
The human pride and ego are nothing new under the sun.
And yet human beings succumb to this vanity of vanities.
We seek attention only to find rejection. We seek to impress but we get depressed.
In the gospel, Herod was curious and anxious to find out who Jesus is.
In his pride and ego, he had done away with John the Baptist. And he now wants to do the same with Jesus.
Anxiety, curiosity and vanity was his obsession and he forgot how to be human.
Let us control our pride and ego, and let go of our anxiety and vanity.
Let us look at the Lord Jesus and do what He wants of us and to be who He wants us to be.
Let us live simple and humble lives and be happy with the love of the Lord.