Feast of St. Padre Pio

Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. The late Pope John Paul II proclaimed him a saint in 2002. He was ordained a priest in 1910 and received the stigmata of Jesus in 1918. Such stigmata have already demonstrated that Pio was destined to become a saint.
These few days, we will continue to read the book of Proverbs. Jews in ancient times collected these wise sayings. They must have felt strongly about the messages conveyed in these words. However, nowadays, we may not be able to capture their experiences and develop an empathy with them. We will find it difficult to resonate with those "wise sayings". I mean no offence. Indeed, I find the following sayings difficult to follow. There is "no feel".
The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will (Proverbs 21:1).
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin (Proverbs 21:4).
The way of the guilty is crooked, but the conduct of the pure is right (Proverbs 21:8).
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman (Proverbs 21:9).
It is better to live in a desert land than with a contentious and fretful woman (Proverbs 21:19).
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright (Proverbs 21:18).
All day long the wicked covets, but the righteous gives and does not hold back (Proverbs 21:29).
I am sure in those days, these verses would create a stir in people's hearts. Not so nowadays.
On the other hand, there seem to be universal truths which every people shares. For example,
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart (Proverbs 21:2).
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but every one who is hasty comes only to want (Proverbs 21:5).
He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard (Proverbs 21:13).
He who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble (Proverbs 21:23).
All day long the wicked covets, but the righteous gives and does not hold back (Proverbs 21:26).
How true their message is!
Man needs to lie to himself in order to stay alive in a hostile world. He needs to look highly of himself, have a healthy good self-image. We have met and worked under one such man before. How true Proverbs 21:2 is.
On the other hand, I have, more than once, got myself into deep trouble because I did not keep my mouth and my tongue to myself. To these days, I remain outspoken to the wrong people at the wrong times. How true Proverbs 21:23 is.

My dear Advocate, keep me under Your wings. Deliver me from my folly. Let my lips only sing praises to You and do not utter stupidities. May the words I speak be edifying ones to the people I meet. Amen.