“Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often….” (Stay with me, Lord by St. Pio of Pietrelcina).
You might not need to share or agree with this feelings of mine that weakness is not an indication of laziness but a pointer that one needs support, a base/ something to lean on.” It is a state of emptiness that needs to be filled; and only one person can truly fill it up – JESUS.
Now I understand that strong urge in Zacchaeus that made him in spite of his wealth to climb a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus in order to fill up that emptiness in him (Lk. 19:3-4). And he got what he never bargained for, Jesus invited himself into his house ( vv. 5-10).
Jesus says in John 4:10: “if only you knew the gift of God… you will be the one to ask….” Now I see why St. Pio in spite of gifted with the fives wounds of Jesus and also with bi-location because of his life of holiness would continually ask the Lord Jesus to stay with him – “stay with me, Lord for I am weak and I need Your strength….” Invariably saying “I depend totally on You, Jesus.”
So do you have need of God in your life? Why not Zacchaeus look for the tree to climb and like St. Pio ask that he stays with you on this journey.
My sweetest Jesus I depend only and totally on you in this journey. Transform my seeming weaknesses into strengths. The road is very rough and tough filled with many obstacles for the enemy of my soul does not want me to journey with you Jesus to your glory where I will have life in abundance. So I beg of you to stay with me, Lord. You have never disappointed and you never will. Amen.
Sing the song today “I need thee every hour….” Read Jeremiah chapter 3 and pray with St. Pio’s “stay with me, Lord.”
SHEPHERD ME O LORD BEYOND MY STRENGTH.