Pope Francis continued his catechism on the theme of discernment in Wednesday’s public audience, and this week discussed “vigilance”: we must not be overconfident, but guard our hearts at all times, because the devil will knock politely on the door of the heart , and then occupy the heart.
(Vatican News Network)Vigilance is a vital attitude, lest good discernment and decisions come to naught. Pope Francis underscored this in his catechism when he presided over Wednesday’s public audience in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican on December 14. This is the Pope’s 12th catechism on the theme of discernment, and this week is about vigilance. In the preceding weeks, the Pope, using the example of Saint Ignatius, talked about “certain elements of discernment” such as: prayer, self-knowledge, longing, the book of life, desolation and consolation.
Speaking of “confirming the choice made”, the pope pointed out that the danger in the process is that “the devil will destroy everything and bring us back to the beginning or even worse”. Therefore, “vigilance is indispensable”, which enables “the process of discernment to be successful”.
“Jesus insisted very much in his preaching on the fact that a good disciple is to be alert, not lethargic, not overconfident when things are going well, but always on the alert and ready to do his duty.”
Conversely, if we are not vigilant enough, the demon will take advantage of it: it waits for our moment of overconfidence. When we are distracted, confused, and lacking in humility, demons take advantage of this opportunity to undo good decisions made with discernment.
The pope went on to liken the state of the heart to a clean and tidy house. If we are afraid of damaging our atrium, so we don’t accept anyone, and we don’t invite in “undesirable guests, the poor, the homeless, etc.,” then the atrium will also be damaged.
“There is evil arrogance in it, self-righteousness, self-importance, self-righteousness. When we are overconfident and do not trust in God’s grace, the devil finds the door open. So he arranges the relocation matters, occupying that atrium (cf. Mt 12:43-45)”.
The Pope warned: Some demons are so polite that when they enter the atrium, the owner is not aware of it. “When they come in, they knock politely, and you don’t even notice it.” Instead, they welcome them politely, “and they end up calling the shots in your mind.”
If we lack vigilance, we may lose completely. Many times, the Lord has bestowed many graces, but “we did not guard properly and lost everything because we were not vigilant enough. We did not guard the door, so we were deceived by polite visitors, let it in, and followed It whispers and asks for warmth.”
For this reason, the Pope invites everyone to reflect on their own experience, because it is not enough to make good discernment and decisions, but also to remain vigilant and “guard this divine grace”. The Pope said that if we see a messy situation, we will immediately be alert to the devil and temptation, but the devil will also come in the guise of an angel, speak politely and win people’s trust, but bring worse consequences.
Finally, the Pope reminded everyone to be vigilant and guard their hearts, “because vigilance is not only a sign of wisdom, but also a sign of humility. It is the broad road of Christian life”.
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