One of Hitler’s strategic moves was the so-called “Operation Weserübung.” It consisted of invading Denmark and Norway to secure a strategic point in the North Sea and, above all, to ensure access to iron from the mines in Sweden.
On April 1, 1940, Hitler ordered the execution of this operation, which was carried out on April 9, 1940. However, the operation began a few days earlier, as a large group of German tourists, merchants, and sailors arrived in Norway between April 1 and 9. These tourists, who were innocently welcomed by the Norwegians, were actually soldiers in disguise who were part of the operation.
Something similar can happen to us with the life of grace. Often, things that naïvely enter our soul without us noticing them end up becoming allies of our great enemy, sin, because we are not on guard against them or we do not pay them attention.
These things can be movies, video games, mundane conversations, reading vain things, etc. Just as the tourists rose up against the Norwegians who had welcomed them to their lands, so too does everything worldly that we allow into our hearts rise up against us and make us deny Jesus.
Hence, the fundamental stance to prevent this from happening to us must be twofold:
First, we must give the least possible room within us to things that are not directed to, or do not make us grow in, holiness: thoughts, desires, passions, tastes, pleasures, etc. We must cut them off if we see that they do not help us love God more. Often, because these things are not sinful (at least they do not make us commit mortal sin), or because they are things we like, we harbor them within ourselves, and even worse, we seek them out, because although they do not make us grow in holiness, they give us pleasure. We must keep in mind that these worldly things weaken our spiritual life.
Second, a life of austerity is very helpful because living an austere life makes us renounce small pleasures and thus we learn to renounce things we like that are not edifying for the spiritual life. The important things in the spiritual life require effort, and often we do not have the necessary disposition for them. Austerity helps to create that disposition. By leading an austere life, little by little, we will renounce superficial things in order to make room for the important things in the spiritual life.
