The Gospel of the day insists: «be on your guard» and «stay awake, praying».

The Poor Man of Assisi, like the women of St Damian's, lived their existential parable in constant vigil and prayer, careful not to fall into lukewarmness.

In the Franciscan Sources there are episodes that eloquently underline these Gospel coordinates.

In Francis' Letters we find exhortations to the friars never to neglect prayer, the breath of the soul:

"Let us raise our praise and prayers to Him day and night, saying: Our Father, who art in heaven, for we must pray always without ceasing" (FF 188).

But there is a striking episode involving the Poverello:

"The Saint once came with his companion to a church far from the town.

Wishing to pray alone, he told his companion [...] Left alone, he addressed long and very devout prayers to God, and at the end he looked around to see where he could lay his head down to sleep.

But immediately troubled in spirit, he began to feel oppressed by fear and tedium and to tremble all over. He clearly felt that the devil was directing his attacks against him [...] He immediately got up and went outside, made the sign of the cross, and exclaimed:

'By Almighty God, I command you, demons, to pour out upon my body all that is in your power.

I will gladly endure it, for I have no worse enemy than my own body: thus you will do justice to my adversary and inflict punishment on him in my stead."

Those who had gathered to terrify his soul, encountering a spirit more ready than ever, even if in weak flesh, immediately fled in confusion and shame" (FF 707).

And St. Clare, in San Damiano, together with the sisters whom the Lord had given her, lived always attentive and vigilant in prayer:

"She used to wake the young girls for Matins, gently rousing them with gestures, and inviting them to praise God.

Often, while they were still asleep, she would light the lamps; often she herself would ring the bell.

There was no place in her monastery for lukewarmness, no place for sloth where laziness was shaken by a pungent impulse to pray and serve the Lord" (FF 3200).

Therefore: «be awake, praying»  (Lk 21:36)

Saturday 34th week in Ordinary Time  (Lk 21:34-36)