March 02, 2025 English

We live in an age of inundation and saturation of words spoken, written, and conveyed in many troubling ways. We are forced to put up with spam calls and junk emails. Unfortunately, we must deal with fake news, frauds, false claims, vicious ad hominem attacks on the Internet, far-reaching and distorted political propaganda, and so on.
The Book of Sirach says, “One's speech discloses the bent of one's mind. So, praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.” Jesus states: “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."

According to the Lord, what is inside our minds and hearts will manifest in our speech, determining whether we are good people or evil ones. So, before we say anything, we must be careful about what and how we say it. Hopefully, our speech expresses something noble, beautiful, truthful, and sound that will inspire and lift other people and give glory to God. All being well, we will never say anything beneath our dignity, namely, vulgar, ugly, deceitful, and blasphemous.
 
We make sure that our heart matches our actions. We try to maintain integrity, namely, uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles. Integrity is also known as honesty, which reveals soundness of moral character. We may quickly point out others’ faults and failures without acknowledging our failure to adhere to moral principles. Are we judgmental with others while lenient to ourselves? Hence, the first step is an honest self-examination. Why do I behave the way I do? Is my behavior a reflection of my inner life?

Cardinal J. H. Newman states: “As speech is the organ of human society, and the means of human civilization, so is prayer the instrument of divine fellowship and divine training” (“Moral effects of communion with God,” Parochial and Plain Sermon, 880). He continues: “Christians have a citizenship of heaven and are to walk with God, conversing with God. So, prayers and praises are the modes of communication with the next world. But when the Christian does not pray, he does not claim his citizenship with heaven, but lives, though an heir of the kingdom, as if he were a child of earth… and he is in a way to lose the possession of his divine citizenship” (878).

In today’s world of cheapened words, it is refreshing and vital to remember those faithful and truthful to the Word, even ready to die for the Word, namely, the Christian martyrs. They do not fear worldly threats, claiming their heavenly, divine citizenship. May these heroes of faith, faithful to God’s Word till the end despite agonizing pressures and threats, continue to guide and strengthen us!

Fr. Paul D. Lee