Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves

Jesus, our Lord, sends his followers like sheep among wolves and tells them: Be cautious as snakes and simple as doves… Even though Saint Francis de Sales claims that he would not give one dove for a hundred snakes, that is, one simplicity for a hundred cautions, he still admits that he likes to obey the Lord when he tells him to love and be careful. And so it is all right… It is worth noting that the Lord recommends first the serpent, then the dove. First, caution, then simplicity. And by this, he seems to be telling us: Be careful not to fall into the clutches of human beasts and predators, but if this happens to you, remain uncomplicated. Both are necessary, but this order must be maintained out of obedience to my word.

But what is the serpent’s wisdom to be seen? The wagon walls of King Saul and the military camps of the Czech “Warriors of God” give us the answer to this question… The head is in the middle, covered by the body and the tail, without which it is possible to live and defend only at the end. From the beginning, Jesus Christ formed a community of his followers, which had a head – Peter, protected by the most trusted and surrounded by the most informed for the good of the whole. The snake, as a symbol of prudence, sacrifices everything and exposes the whole body to wounds to protect the head, which is attacked in the Lord’s Church not only with a deadly weapon but also with moral beatings with the help of pamphlets, slander, and slander…

In addition, it can be harmed from within through disobedience of the body, overloading with unnecessary worries, or inaccurate or even distorted information. We are wise when we act like snakes that always defend their heads. And we are simple when some of us, despite caution, are caught and brought before rulers, where we are not to worry about what we will say but leave this concern in the simplicity of a dove to the Holy Spirit.