25th Week in Ordinary Time : Thursday 28th September 2023

Haggai’s message from God was about priorities. The Israelites had rebuilt their own houses and looked after their own needs but had not rebuilt the Temple. God had looked after them throughout the exile, and now that they had returned to their homeland, they were concerned only with themselves. Haggai charged the people for not only not rebuilding the Temple but also for living lavishly in panelled houses. The message was clear – the people needed to put God first and rebuild God’s Temple.

This comment about Herod’s curiosity regarding Jesus is placed just after Jesus had empowered His twelve Apostles to go and proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Herod was curious when he heard about what the Apostles were doing and how they were able to heal. Furthermore, Herod admitted that he had ordered John the Baptist’s beheading – that was how he dealt with people who interfered with his plans. The people saw Jesus as a prophet – perhaps they felt He was carrying on John’s call to repentance. They were drawn to Jesus, but Herod feared He might threaten his own power.

Lord, help me to put You first in my life!