(God) has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man’s ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.
(Eccl 3:11)

Probably one of the most popular passages of the Book of Ecclesiastes or even of the Scriptures. It is often requested for funerals. The key to the whole passage is this last verse: that God has placed the “timeless” in our hearts. The passage echoes Saint Augustine’s beautiful prayer:

O Lord you have made us for yourself,
our heart is restless until it rests in you.
(Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions)