Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

New DeSales World Newsletter - Summer Edition

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 3, 2002)

Suggested Emphasis from the book of the prophet Zephaniah
"Seek justice, seek humility...do no wrong, speak no lies."

Salesian Perspective
To live humbly is to live in the truth: the truth about God, the truth about ourselves, and the truth of one another. The truth is that God creates us in love, redeems us in Christ and inspires/enlivens us by the Holy Spirit. The truth is that we are called to live in a way that gives witness to our sacred dignity and destiny. The truth is that we are to recognize the sacred dignity and destiny of one another.

To the extent that we live in, for and about this truth, we God give others their due. In other words, we truly live humbly by pursuing and promoting justice.

There are lots of ways to give God and others what is their due. There are many ways to promote justice. One of the most powerful - and readily available - means for promoting justice is how we use the power of speech...for as we all know, speech is an ability most powerful indeed.

Francis de Sales recognized the power of words. He devoted no fewer than five chapters in Part III of his Introduction of the Devout Life to the topic of conversation and its role in promoting - or subverting - righteousness. Here is a sampling of his thoughts on the subject:

"If a man does not offend in word, he is a perfect man, says St. James. Be careful to never let an indecent word leave your lips."

"Nothing is so opposed to charity, and much more to devotion, than to despise and speak ill of one's neighbor. Theologians consider it one of the worst offenses against one's neighbor of which a person can be guilty."

His most poignant statement about the connection between humility, justice and speech comes in Chapter 30 of Part III: "Your language should be restrained, frank, sincere, candid, unaffected and honest. Be on your guard against equivocation, ambiguity or dissimulation. While it is not always advisable to say all that is true, it is never permissible to speak against the truth. Therefore, you must become accustomed to never tell a deliberate lie whether to excuse yourself or for some other purposes, remembering that God is the 'God of truth.' If you happen to tell lie, correct it immediately by explanation and make amends. An honest explanation always has more grace and power to excuse than has a lie."

Certainly, there are circumstances in which talk is undoubtedly cheap. In the case of living humbly, however, our words are a priceless treasure: a wealth that God expects us to use in ways that promote - and practice - justice and truth.

"Just as bodily poison enters through the mouth, so what poisons the heart gets in through the ear, making the tongue that utters it a murderer."

Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director
of the De Sales Spirituality Center in Washington, DC.