In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen
My dearly beloved in Our Lord,
Holy Mother Church really wants to drive home this point during the time after Pentecost: “By God's grace I am what I am...” (Epistle, end)
St Paul reminds the first Christians that he himself is a tremendous example of the efficiency of God's grace. He who in good faith had persecuted God's Church, has literally been humbled – he had been thrown off his horse on his way to imprison Christians in Damascus – and then exalted by God's grace, even as far as to being counted among the Apostles and the Prince of the Apostles alongside St Peter.
In the Gospel Our Lord heals a man who can neither hear nor speak. This is our condition if we are without God's grace: We cannot make proper use of our senses which should be the physical instruments of our sanctification. Neither can we understand the word of God – the teaching of Our Lord and of Holy Church – nor can we properly use our tongue to honor and praise God as He deserves to be honored and praised by his reasonable creatures.
The good use of our tongue is particularly important and difficult.
St James in his epistle consecrates the greater part of chapter 3 to the christian duty of mastering one's tongue. “He who does not offend in his speech, is a perfect man... (v. 2) Thus the tongue is a small organ and presumes of great things (v. 5)” The whole passage (Jam 3, 1-12) is very much worth reading and re-reading!
The Imitation of Christ gives us precious hints in book 1, chapters 10 & 20. “A bad habit and the neglect of our tending to perfection is an important reason for our not holding back our tongue... (ch. 10) It is easier to keep total silence, than to keep the measure in speaking... No-one speaks securely who does not love to be silent... (ch. 20)”
It is an important duty for parents to educate their children in such a way that their natural curiosity in hearing and the profusion in talking is cut back to a virtuous measure. For this is an important effect of original sin and a vicious form of being self-centered (egoistic); and it is impossible that purity of mind and of body be kept for any long time by children as they grow up if their curiosity has not been properly mastered and brought under control!
For the adult it is very difficult – according to the teaching of St James – to stay out of trouble in talking. Either we talk too much – which occurs by far more often – or too little.
The discernment – when to speak and when to remain silent – is a difficult one. Each one of us should know his natural inclination and default in this matter, and act accordingly to acquire true virtue.
Female discretion is a very important thing, especially for a married wife. Since women normally are rather inclined to talk too much, a wife can only be a good and precious companion and counselor to her husband if she is discreet, i.e. if she knows to hold back her tongue normally – for only then her words will be appreciated and truly useful.
One thorny matter with regards to our duty of charity is what we call fraternal correction. This properly concerns the serious duty to keep our neighbor away from sin or from the proximate occasion of sin. There is a strict obligation to correct our neighbor if all of the following conditions apply:
- The person is in a true spiritual necessity. This is the case if we know that the sin or the will to commit a sin is certain, or if a person does not better himself without our correction, or if no-one else corrects that person. If we can presume that the person is sinning through invincible ignorance, then there is no duty to correct him unless there is damage being done through his actions.
- There is a great spiritual necessity – which is the case whenever mortal sin is involved.
- There is reasonable hope of the person bettering himself. So there is normally no need to correct people whom we do not know (e.g. on the train, in the street...). Sometimes it is better to leave the correction for a later time, when true amendment can be more readily be expected – e.g. wait to correct someone until his passion of anger etc. has calmed down!
- The correction can be done without serious disadvantage for yourself. This does not apply to those who have an obligation to correct others according to the position that they are holding. Thus parents must correct their children for the reason of piety (lat. pietas, i.e. in virtue of the IVth commandment) even at the risk of great personal disadvantage.
Whenever all of these conditions apply, there is a serious duty to correct one's neighbor. This can be done through words, but also sometimes it is enough to give a decisive look; or to turn a conversation to a different topic; or to withhold one's support from the person.
The order to be kept is according to Our Lord's words in the Gospel (Mt 18,15-17; cf. Lk 17,3): First you must correct the person under four eyes (alone); if this fails, you take one or two persons into your confidence (in order to be more convincing); only if this also proves to be fruitless you must tell the authority.
This matter of fraternal correction with all its distinctions and sub-distinctions should be well known and well considered by all adults. Today we have no “normal” authority in place which would usually correct abuses. So much more must we endeavor to accomplish any duty which comes from charity. – And God alone knows how many sins have been, and still are being committed by wrongly applying correction to our neighbor!
St Paul encourages the Ephesians (4,15) “to practice the truth in charity”. And after having admonished the Galatians to practice charity, he exhorts them that while they are biting each other they may be careful not to be devoured all together (5,15)!
“Ephphetha!” (Gospel) May our senses be opened for that which is godly, and closed to all that which is ungodly. May God's grace, truth, wisdom and charity strengthen our mind and body (cf. Post-communio prayer) so that we in turn may be no more darkness, but “light in the Lord” (Eph 5,8), having become similar to the great mysteries celebrated by Holy Church these days, in the Transfiguration of Our Lord and Savior, and the bodily Assumption of Our Blessed Lady.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
P. Arnold Trauner (paterarnold@hotmail.com), njemački i engleski
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