Pope Francis continued his catechism on the theme of discernment in Wednesday’s public audience, and this week he spoke of “vigilance”: we must not be too sure of ourselves, but always guard our hearts, because the devil will politely knock on the door of the heart, and then occupy the heart.
(Vatican News Network)Vigilance is a vital attitude, so that good discernment and decisions do not go astray. Pope Francis underlined this in his catechism, presiding over the public audience on Wednesday 14 December in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican. This is the Pope’s 12th catechism on the theme of discernment, and this week it’s about vigilance. In the weeks preceding the Pope, taking the example of Saint Ignatius, he spoke of “certain elements of discernment” such as: prayer, self-knowledge, nostalgia, the book of life, desolation and consolation.
Speaking of “confirming the choice made”, the pope underlined that the danger in the process is that “the devil will destroy everything and take us back to the beginning or even worse”. Therefore, “vigilance is indispensable”, which allows “the successful outcome of the process of discernment”.
“Jesus insisted a lot in his preaching that a good disciple must be alert, not lethargic, not overconfident when things go right, but always alert and ready to do his duty.”
On the contrary, if we are not vigilant enough, the demon will take advantage of it: he awaits our moment of presumption. When we are distracted, confused, and lacking in humility, demons take advantage of this opportunity to undo good decisions made with discernment.
The pope then compared the state of the heart to a clean and tidy home. If we are afraid of damaging our lobby, so we don’t accept anyone and don’t invite “uninvited guests, poor, homeless, etc.”, then the lobby will also be damaged.
“There is in it wicked arrogance, self-righteousness, conceit, self-righteousness. When we are overconfident and do not trust in God’s grace, the devil finds the door open. So he arranges the matters of transfer, occupying that hall (see Mt 12:43-45)”.
The Pope warned: Some demons are so polite that when they enter the hall, the owner does not notice. “When they come in, they knock politely and you don’t even notice.” Instead, they welcome them politely “and end up commanding your mind.”
If we lack vigilance, we could lose completely. Many times the Lord has granted many graces, but “we have not kept well and we have lost everything because we were not vigilant enough. and he 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 make decisions, but also to be vigilant and “guard this divine grace”. The Pope said that if we see a messy situation, we will immediately beware of the devil and temptation, but the devil will also come in the guise of an angel, speak politely, and win people’s trust, but it will bring worse consequences.
Finally, the Pope reminded everyone to be vigilant and to guard one’s heart, “because vigilance is not only a sign of wisdom, but also a sign of humility. It is the broad road of the Christian life”.
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