Mt 10,16-23 – Friday of the XIV Week of Ordinary Time
«Behold: I send you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be prudent as serpents and simple as doves.” There is a healthy realism in the words that Jesus speaks in today’s Gospel. He does not hide from his disciples the difficulties they will encounter. He does not promise them a life without obstacles, opposition or suffering. It clearly says that living the Gospel is a bit like walking among wolves.
But the surprising thing is that Jesus does not ask the sheep to transform into wolves in order to survive. It doesn’t say to get stronger claws or sharper teeth. The strength of the Christian does not consist in becoming more aggressive than those in front of him. His strength is knowing he has a Shepherd. It is this awareness that allows us to remain meek without becoming weak, good without being naive, capable of forgiving without allowing evil to dominate us. The biggest risk, in fact, is not meeting wolves, but becoming like them. Many times we think that to defend ourselves we must use the same weapons as those who hurt us. Jesus instead asks us to guard our identity even as we go through difficult situations. For this reason he adds a practical indication: “Be prudent like serpents and simple like doves.”
The Christian life needs both of these characteristics. Simplicity without prudence becomes naivety. Prudence without simplicity becomes cunning, suspicion, calculation. Many times we are just doves and we allow ourselves to be hurt because we do not know how to recognize evil. Other times we just become snakes and, in an attempt to protect ourselves, we lose the ability to trust, love and live with a clear heart. Jesus asks us instead to keep together innocence and discernment, goodness and intelligence, meekness and awareness.
Friday 10 July 2026 – (Friday of the XIV Week of Ordinary Time – Even Year)
