vangelo del giorno

You have revealed them to the childlike

Gal 6,14-18; Ps 15; Mt 11,25-30
4 OCTOBER

The little one of the Gospel is the poor in spirit, the humble, he who knows that God, the Lord, is everything and he is nothing. The Virgin Mary is little. She is humility made person, flesh, spirit, soul and body. In every moment, She saw herself entirely the work of the Lord. The Apostles must still become little ones. They have many thoughts in their mind. Even they think of themselves from themselves, even though the Lord is showing them that He is the little one of the kingdom of heaven because in eternity and in time he is all and always, from the Father. He was always tempted by Satan to be from himself and not from the Father, but he overcame him in every temptation. In the last temptation, the harsher, hard one, that in the Garden of Olives, Satan placed in his heart the anguish of death. But He put himself in so intense a prayer as to be able to drive it out of his spirit and his soul in a definitive way. Now he is ready to voluntarily go to the crucifixion.

Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.'” Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The devil said to him, “I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. All this will be yours, if you worship me.” Jesus said to him in reply, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'” Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and: ‘With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” Jesus said to him in reply, “It also says, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'” When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time (Lk 4,1-13).

Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not undergo the test.” After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” (And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.) When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test” (Lk 22,39-46).

Who is the little evangelical then? He who gives everything and always to the will of the Father. If there is only one thought of man in the mind, he is not yet entirely little. He has something that belongs to men. All thoughts are not yet of God. Now only one thought of the earth is enough to prevent the whole will of God from being placed in the heart. If a gram of earth remains in a jug, the water poured into it is not perfectly pure. It is in some way polluted. The pitcher is emptied of everything in it. It is thoroughly cleaned. The water is poured and it is very pure. Repentance and conversion are the ways to clean our hearts.

At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

Who falls into the temptation of Satan is not poor in spirit and is not little. He comes out of the motion of the Holy Spirit and enters the government of the prince of the world. Whoever does not grow in wisdom and grace every day, is not little and poor in spirit either. He is rich in his thoughts, his ideas and his purposes. Those who seek the divine will are little ones.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints ensure that all the disciples of Jesus become little and humble.