Splinters of Light: thoughts on the festive Gospels of Don Franco Mastrolonardo

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples:

«Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has liked to give you the Kingdom.

Sell ​​what you have and give it in alms; make bags that do not age, a safe treasure in the skies, where thief does not arrive and worm does not consume. Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be too.

Be ready, with your clothes tight to your hips and the lamps lit; be like those who wait for their master when he comes back from the wedding, so that when he comes and knocks, they open it immediately.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake on his return; verily I tell you, he will tighten his garments to his hips, have them sit at table and come to serve them. And if, arriving in the middle of the night or before dawn, he finds them like this, lucky them!

Try to understand this: if the landlord knew what time the thief was coming, he would not let his house be broken into. You too get ready because, at an hour you do not imagine, the Son of man is coming ».

Then Peter said, “Lord, are you saying this parable for us or also for everyone?”

The Lord replied: “Who then is the trustworthy and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to give the ration of food in due time?” Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he arrives, will find doing so. Truly I tell you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But if that servant said in his heart: “My master is late in coming”, and began to beat the servants and the maidservants, to eat, drink and get drunk, that servant’s master will come one day when he does not. he waits and at an hour he does not know, he will punish him severely and inflict on him the fate that the infidels deserve.

The servant who, knowing the will of the master, has not arranged or acted according to his will, will receive many blows; the one who, not knowing it, will have done things worthy of beating, will receive few.

From whoever was given much, much will be asked; whoever was entrusted with a lot, much more will be required ”. (Lk 12: 32-48).

Today, 7 August, the Church reaches the XIX Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C, liturgical color green). In this holiday period, to comment on the Gospel of the Holy Mass is don Franco Mastrolonardopastor of the church of Gesù Redentore, in Riccione.

Love, life, values, spirituality are contained in his reflection for “Splinters of Light, thoughts on the festive Gospels”, a column that wants to be a tender caress for all souls in this valley of exile. Thoughts and words, which together with the work of the designer from Bra Pinuccia Sardothey are like sparks to ignite the reasons for hope.

The Fathers of the Desert, great spiritual teachers of the first centuries argued that there can be no prayer without vigilance of the heart. Vigilance in turn goes hand in hand with attention. They are two attitudes that are deeply linked to each other. Attention is the opposite of superficiality and distraction, because it means the ability to fix the gaze on what is essential and remain in tension towards it. It is waiting (to wait, in Latin, means to strive, to be striving towards).

Vigilance, then, is the custody of attention: one cannot be attentive if one is heavy, sleepy, if a sobriety of heart and mind is lacking. Strictly speaking, vigilance is the attitude of a well-awake soul, present to itself cautious and careful not to let itself be surprised by the demonic adversary, who tries to enter the mind and heart.

To a brother deluded by the tranquility of his heart, an elderly monk replied that only a vigilant heart makes a discernment of the struggle possible: «The brother kept telling him: I do not see struggles in my heart. The elder replied: You are a building open from all sides. Anyone who enters your place leaves as they please. And you, you don’t know what happens. If you had a door, if you closed it and prevented bad thoughts from entering, then you would see them standing outside and fighting against you. ”

The door of vigilance is required in desert spirituality to prevent the senses and the body from falling into the snares of the enemy. Even today psychology, for example, directs us towards the same path. Any psychologist argues that the unregulated and clumsy use of the smartphone disturbs the mental balance of children and reduces attention and ability to concentrate. And do you know why? Because on the web there are no frames, there is no boundary between one thing and another. Everything continues in everything. Instead there is a need to distinguish, to separate, to order, to have doors, windows.

So, now as then, vigilance and attention is needed. In Greek, “attention” is said “prosoché”. And always in Greek, “prayer” is said “proseuchè”. Think how they look alike. Not for this the fathers said that attention is the mother of prayer.

Now, returning to the Gospel and concluding, the servant is beatified by Jesus precisely because of this capacity for vigilance and attention. He is awake and whole. Immediately then he will open to the master who returns in the middle of the night. And we, on the other hand, are we so smart?

Splinters of Light: thoughts on the festive Gospels of Don Franco Mastrolonardo