O dear God our Father, without you, we shall never be complete, we shall always be empty. How foolish that we keep on filling ourselves with so many things without realizing our fulfillment is in you alone.
Twice you ordered us today through the Prophet Haggai to "Consider your ways!" or look at ourselves to see how we think so much of ourselves, when we think so much of our needs without ever thinking of you from whom all good gifts come from.
Now thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; you have drunk, but have not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; and he who earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways!
Haggai 1:1-8
We know, O Lord God that you have no need of anything from us to be sufficient for you are perfect; if ever you "need" us, it is for our own good and benefit! Even the most powerful know this like King Herod in our gospel today who was "greatly perplexed" at your Son Jesus Christ that he "kept trying to see him" because there must be a large gaping hole in him without Jesus.
Teach us to be like Saint Padre Pio whose memorial we celebrate today: enlighten us to imbibe fully the meaning of his expression that "I only want to be a poor friar who prays." How amazing and inspiring, dear God are the many gifts you have given St. Padre Pio who desired only one thing in life, to be poor who prays. Let us desire you alone and that is more than enough. Amen.
