Fathers

Ecclesiastes 11

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Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth. If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be. He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap. As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all. In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good. Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun. Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

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What the Fathers say

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Western Saints

Jerome

"In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for you know not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that which comes is vanity. "Do not choose which good deeds you do, but once you have started doing good, never stop. …

Commentary on Ecclesiastes ↗

Bonaventure

In the morning sow etc. Here thirdly he exhorts to doing good unceasingly: and first the exhortation is set forth; second, the reason for the exhortation is added; and third, the recompense. He exhorts therefore to performing works of mercy unceasingly, for he says: In the morning sow your seed, that is, in the time of youth, because Lamentations 3: "It is good for a man when he has borne the yoke from his youth." And in the evening let not your hand cease, that is, in old age, as if to say that at every time and age good works are …

Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 11 ↗