The devil acts against us

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field (Matt 13:24). God’s field is the whole world and it is also, in a particular way, your soul. But in addition, since we are God’s children, this field which is our Father’s is also our field. The Lord has left the whole world to you and to me as our property. Reflect on what this means as regards divinisation, greatness and responsibility.

But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away (Matt 13:25). God’s enemy: people seem afraid to speak about the meddling and the snares of this enemy of God, Satan. I tell you that we need to be aware that the devil is indeed active. It moves me to devotion to recite at the foot of the altar: Sancte Michaël Archangele, defende nos in proelio: contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli… so that St Michael may free us and others from all diabolical influences.

A bad dream

Cum autem dormirent homines...⁹ Not a single word spoken to us by our Lord should be lost. For in our own life, is it not our sleepiness, a bad drowsiness, that leads us to squander the good seed of sound doctrine and holy living? So we have to be vigilant. Custos, quid de nocte?¹⁰ Sentry, be alert! We have to be alert and we have to hear the cry of alarm and pass it on to others. We cannot fall asleep; otherwise, the bad will come in the midst of the good: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation (Matt 26:41).

So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also (Matt 13:26). What divine pedagogy the parables show! They are luminous and clear to simple souls, but unintelligible to the stubborn and complicated. That is why the Pharisees did not understand them. The sower, the field, the enemy, the weeds... Draw closer to Christ and ask him to explain the parable to you – edissere nobis parabolam!¹¹ – in the intimacy of your prayer.

Waking up

Tell our Lord that you want to apply all the means available. When you see that you have not managed to do so and that you have slept – a miserable thing, that sleep! – the time has come, with God’s grace, to react. Certainly our neglect did not stem from any lack of love, but from weakness. That is why we should immediately tell our Lord, “From now on I will be strong, with you. The defeats are mine; the victories, yours. I don’t want evil to be present in the world. The field will be ploughed, and receive the care it needs, with the seed generously sown.” Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge! Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! (Ps 143[142]:9-10).