Gospel: Luke 11:15-26 

 

The demon never gets discouraged, he has patience and he repeatedly returns. Jesus, too, felt this reality: in the Gospel of Luke we read that after the temptation in the wilderness the demon left him alone for a while, but then kept coming back. And the demons set traps for him up until the end, until his passion. 

 

This is what also happens to us when someone tempts us, asking us: “Are you capable?”. And they challenge, saying: “No, you aren’t capable”. This is why Jesus speaks of a strong man, fully armed, the guard of his own palace, who guards his own house, because the heart of each one of us is like a house. It is necessary to protect that treasure where the Holy Spirit dwells, so that the other spirits do not enter. 

 

We use many types of security in our houses to defend against thieves. Do we do the same with our hearts? Or do we leave the door open? One must be vigilant, because the demon, even though he has been cast out by baptism, he goes, he finds seven others eviler than himself, and he returns.

 

How many times do wicked thoughts enter, wicked intentions, jealousy, envy. So many things that enter. But who opened that door? Where did they come in?”. What do we do then, to prevent this occurrence?  “He who does not gather with me scatters’”. We need to be vigilant and gathered heart, a heart in which we manage to be aware of what’s happening.