THE TEST OF A PERSON IS IN THEIR WORDS

 

THE TEST OF A PERSON IS IN THEIR WORDS

More reliable than any alarm clock, the birds outside my window start chattering around 0515hrs. Are they saying their prayers or are they defending their territory? I don’t know. But they are having a conversation. We too are chatterers and we nourish or harm one another with our tongues.

At the height of the Reformation, when Christians were gathering stones to throw at one another, Ignatius of Loyola cautioned his companions against getting involved in verbal brawls. Console people, he urged them, and approach them with suavitas (genuine kindness, charm).  Among Ignatius’ first companions was a Frenchman, Pierre Favre (Peter Faber in English usage), who was renowned for the gentle attractiveness in his conversation. He won people over by his kind and patient interest in them.

John Bradburne, who devoted his life to accompanying people with leprosy in Zimbabwe and was killed near Mutemwa towards the end of the Liberation War, showed this same quality. People would say they felt better just by meeting him and having a few words with him. There was nothing false or pretentious in his conversation. There was always something genuine and encouraging in his words and people left his presence laughing.

There is, of course the other side to conversation which we call gossip. I suppose there is good gossip and bad gossip but it is the latter one that is harmful where the character of a person, who is not present, is torn apart. This really can destroy a reputation.

The parables, cited in the readings below, have a consoling message. If you are basically a good person, trying your best, you will automatically – without thinking about it – speak well of others and put a good interpretation on what they say or do. A good potter produces a good jar. A good tree will produce good fruit. ‘A person’s words flow from what fills his heart.’

There are people we enjoy being with and others we avoid! It depends on their conversation – and on ours. The tongue is there to build us up and to praise God – like the birds do in the early morning.     

2 March 2025       Sunday 8 C    Sir 27:4-7 1 Cor 25:54-58    Lk 5:39-45