Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The intelligence of the simple-hearted people
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. Mt 11,25-27
My grandparents’ house in Montecatini Alto was a nice one, the home which welcomed me throughout the summers, as long as the school was over. In the memories of those months spent in the Tuscan countryside sun, the figure of the grandfather Angelo, strong and proud, even in his simplicity as a man devoid of culture, dedicated to work very humbly, stands up like a giant. I remember when he tied a long swing to the highest tree of the yard, giving me in this way several hours of flights among the leaves of the trees, or when he was telling me his stories of the first world war. He participated throughout the entire war, driving the mules which carried the supplies to the trenches and he returned with a completely white hair, although being still very young. But the best memory he has left to me is his faith, strong as his shoulders, free from the all doubts and the speculations which later filled my university textbooks and weakened many minds. Each evening he gathered the family for the rosary which he was driving, standing right up ahead of the fireplace; each day he checked that, in front of a painting of the Sacred Heart, which dominated the room, there was a small light always on as well as fresh flowers. It was his thanks to the Lord of the life, who had protected him during the war and to whom he entrusted the family. Me, as a baby, I watched him, and today, being a grandmother as being my turn, I still consider him one of those simple-hearted people privileged by the Lord with the gift of the wisdom of the heart. This is why I jealously preserve the little jar of glass which was located in front of the Sacred Heart, together with the love for the prayer, which he transmitted to me by his example.