The Power of Speech
Fr. Derek Remus - Homily for the Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time
One of the greatest gifts that God has given us is the power of speech. Through our speech, we can praise God, communicate the truth, promote peace, and encourage others to pursue what is good. Unfortunately, we can also abuse this great gift. We can spread falsehoods, destroy reputations, foment hatred, and lead others to sin.
Today’s readings provide us with an opportunity to reflect on sins of the tongue. In today’s First Reading, from the Book of Sirach, we hear: “When a sieve is shaken, the refuse appears; so do a person’s faults when he speaks…Do not praise anyone before he speaks, for this is the way people are tested.” And in the Gospel, Jesus says: “[I]t is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” Our speech reveals what is in our heart.
Perhaps, then, we should take a look at some common sins of the tongue and at the remedies for them.
One common sin of the tongue is that of lying - saying something contrary to that which is in our mind. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that lying does “violence” to our neighbor because it “affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision.” Lying “contains the seed of discord” and is “destructive of society” (n. 2486).
One type of lie which is particularly serious is that of calumny or slander – knowingly saying something false about another in order to harm that person’s reputation. Deliberately harming someone’s reputation is very serious. One’s reputation is a kind of life. Shakespeare says: “Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done.” Just as one’s physical life is destroyed by murder, so one’s reputation or social life is destroyed by slander.
Another common sin of the tongue is that of detraction. This is where we disclose another person’s fault without a valid reason for doing so. There are times when we do have a valid reason for disclosing another person’s fault. For example, if you know who robbed the bank, then you have an obligation to inform the police. Most of the time, however, we don’t have such a reason. Often, we talk about other people’s shortcomings because it makes us feel better about our own.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” There is a story about an abbot whose fellow monks were prone to criticizing each other for their faults. The abbot put a bag with a large quantity of sand on his back and held a bag with a small quantity of sand in front of his face. When the monks asked him what he was doing, he replied: “That bag which holds most sand is my sins, and because they are many, I have put them on my back lest I should grieve and lament over them; but the little quantity of sand is the sins of my brother, and they are before my face, and in them I exercise myself in judging my brother.”
Another common sin of the tongue is that of rash judgment. This is where we claim that someone is guilty of a moral fault but don’t have sufficient evidence for making that claim.
Unless we have a grave reason for doing otherwise, it is a sin to break confidences and disclose secrets. The Catechism tells us: “Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons’ private lives” (2492).
Nagging is when we remind someone of his or her faults again and again. Sometimes, we dig up things that people did twenty or thirty years ago. Christ, however, tells us to be merciful and to forgive offences. When we find it difficult to forgive someone, a really good prayer to say is the prayer of Christ on the Cross for his executioners: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Flattery is when we exaggerate another’s good qualities in order to get in their good books. We praise them not because we sincerely mean it but because we hope to get something out of them.
Bragging and boasting are forms of egotism. So is constantly making ourselves the centre of conversation. Some people are never interested in hearing about the lives of other people, and every time the conversation turns to someone else's affairs, they immediately bring it back to Number One.
We must guard against a quarrelsome tongue, which can lead us to say things that are hateful or cruel. Words - not just actions - can kill.
Impure or inappropriate jokes are a form of causing scandal to other people.
So far, we have considered sins of the tongue which are fairly obvious. There are others, however, which are less obvious, such as idle talk or chatter. We can go on and on about nothing in particular, wasting our own and other people’s time. Sometimes, we just need to learn to zip it. Inventing excuses for ourselves when we’ve done something wrong is a form of pride. When we’ve done something wrong, we should view it as an opportunity to grow in the precious virtue of humility. Another less obvious sin of the tongue is that of being a busybody - prying into other people’s affairs and asking questions that we have no right to ask. Some questions are actually rude. We don't have a right to know everything about everybody.
We can also sin by being silent - for example, when we have an obligation to admonish a sinner or proclaim the truth of the Gospel but don't out of fear.
What are the remedies for sins of the tongue? First, pray. Second, receive frequently the sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. Third, ask God for the grace to be silent when we need to be silent and to speak when we need to speak. St. John Vianney says: “If something uncharitable is said in your presence, either speak in favor of the absent, or withdraw, or if possible, stop the conversation.” Fourth, practice silence on a regular basis through prayer, study, and meditation. We need to drown out the noise of the world and the noise of our own often disorderly thoughts and spend time listening to God instead.
Lent begins this week. Perhaps, then, we can work this Lent on refraining from sins of the tongue. Fasting from gossip is far more important than fasting from food. At this holy Mass, let us ask for the grace to keep guard over our tongue and use our power of speech, given us by God, to manifest the truth and lead others to what is good.
Today’s readings provide us with an opportunity to reflect on sins of the tongue. In today’s First Reading, from the Book of Sirach, we hear: “When a sieve is shaken, the refuse appears; so do a person’s faults when he speaks…Do not praise anyone before he speaks, for this is the way people are tested.” And in the Gospel, Jesus says: “[I]t is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” Our speech reveals what is in our heart.
Perhaps, then, we should take a look at some common sins of the tongue and at the remedies for them.
One common sin of the tongue is that of lying - saying something contrary to that which is in our mind. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that lying does “violence” to our neighbor because it “affects his ability to know, which is a condition of every judgment and decision.” Lying “contains the seed of discord” and is “destructive of society” (n. 2486).
One type of lie which is particularly serious is that of calumny or slander – knowingly saying something false about another in order to harm that person’s reputation. Deliberately harming someone’s reputation is very serious. One’s reputation is a kind of life. Shakespeare says: “Mine honor is my life; both grow in one. Take honor from me, and my life is done.” Just as one’s physical life is destroyed by murder, so one’s reputation or social life is destroyed by slander.
Another common sin of the tongue is that of detraction. This is where we disclose another person’s fault without a valid reason for doing so. There are times when we do have a valid reason for disclosing another person’s fault. For example, if you know who robbed the bank, then you have an obligation to inform the police. Most of the time, however, we don’t have such a reason. Often, we talk about other people’s shortcomings because it makes us feel better about our own.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks us: “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?” There is a story about an abbot whose fellow monks were prone to criticizing each other for their faults. The abbot put a bag with a large quantity of sand on his back and held a bag with a small quantity of sand in front of his face. When the monks asked him what he was doing, he replied: “That bag which holds most sand is my sins, and because they are many, I have put them on my back lest I should grieve and lament over them; but the little quantity of sand is the sins of my brother, and they are before my face, and in them I exercise myself in judging my brother.”
Another common sin of the tongue is that of rash judgment. This is where we claim that someone is guilty of a moral fault but don’t have sufficient evidence for making that claim.
Unless we have a grave reason for doing otherwise, it is a sin to break confidences and disclose secrets. The Catechism tells us: “Everyone should observe an appropriate reserve concerning persons’ private lives” (2492).
Nagging is when we remind someone of his or her faults again and again. Sometimes, we dig up things that people did twenty or thirty years ago. Christ, however, tells us to be merciful and to forgive offences. When we find it difficult to forgive someone, a really good prayer to say is the prayer of Christ on the Cross for his executioners: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Flattery is when we exaggerate another’s good qualities in order to get in their good books. We praise them not because we sincerely mean it but because we hope to get something out of them.
Bragging and boasting are forms of egotism. So is constantly making ourselves the centre of conversation. Some people are never interested in hearing about the lives of other people, and every time the conversation turns to someone else's affairs, they immediately bring it back to Number One.
We must guard against a quarrelsome tongue, which can lead us to say things that are hateful or cruel. Words - not just actions - can kill.
Impure or inappropriate jokes are a form of causing scandal to other people.
So far, we have considered sins of the tongue which are fairly obvious. There are others, however, which are less obvious, such as idle talk or chatter. We can go on and on about nothing in particular, wasting our own and other people’s time. Sometimes, we just need to learn to zip it. Inventing excuses for ourselves when we’ve done something wrong is a form of pride. When we’ve done something wrong, we should view it as an opportunity to grow in the precious virtue of humility. Another less obvious sin of the tongue is that of being a busybody - prying into other people’s affairs and asking questions that we have no right to ask. Some questions are actually rude. We don't have a right to know everything about everybody.
We can also sin by being silent - for example, when we have an obligation to admonish a sinner or proclaim the truth of the Gospel but don't out of fear.
What are the remedies for sins of the tongue? First, pray. Second, receive frequently the sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist. Third, ask God for the grace to be silent when we need to be silent and to speak when we need to speak. St. John Vianney says: “If something uncharitable is said in your presence, either speak in favor of the absent, or withdraw, or if possible, stop the conversation.” Fourth, practice silence on a regular basis through prayer, study, and meditation. We need to drown out the noise of the world and the noise of our own often disorderly thoughts and spend time listening to God instead.
Lent begins this week. Perhaps, then, we can work this Lent on refraining from sins of the tongue. Fasting from gossip is far more important than fasting from food. At this holy Mass, let us ask for the grace to keep guard over our tongue and use our power of speech, given us by God, to manifest the truth and lead others to what is good.