“Do as the fish does: when you feel a storm coming, immediately immerse yourself in contemplation and take refuge in the arms of Christ; thus you will be safe from all the temptations of the world and the dark powers” (St. Peter of Alcantara).
This invitation from today’s saint, St. Peter of Alcantara, springs from his intimate relationship with the Lord. If we are vigilant from the beginning, it will be much easier for us to reject temptations of all kinds. Conversely, if we react too late, the storm can take hold and disturb our soul.
The saying “you have to nip evil in the bud” also applies to spiritual combat. Along the spiritual path, our Heavenly Father can draw us ever closer into His service and form us with ever greater subtlety. As St. Paul suggests, we must strive to reach “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” and not be “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:13–14).
This does not mean that we should lose our filial attitude toward our Father, who shelters us. Rather, it means that we must take on more responsibility regarding our Christian vocation. The Lord asks for our willingness. That is what we can offer Him. And that includes vigilance.
A vigilant attitude is always necessary. “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast” (Lk 12:35–36), the Lord tells us clearly. This exhortation describes attentive anticipation of the Lord’s return and listening to the voice of the Bridegroom with love.
In today’s passage, vigilance refers to our defensive posture of immersing ourselves in God’s protected space, where we find security and the means to defend ourselves from attacks. Both aspects are necessary because the battle will not cease as long as our earthly life lasts. Today’s phrase is also based on the certainty that we could never win the battle with our own strength. Excessive self-confidence is lethal because it shows that one has already been infected by the forces one seeks to combat. Therefore, it is not a matter of fearful flight, but of realism regarding spiritual combat.
St. Peter of Alcantara’s comparison is very illustrative. We have certainly seen how quickly fish disappear from the surface and take refuge. If we are not up to the task of confrontation, let us do the same!