Read James Chapter Three…

One of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed upon us is the gift of communication—most specifically, the ability to speak to others.  However, it must be stated with the utmost clarity: the tongue is a two-edged sword. It can accomplish enormous good; but it can also do tremendous evil.

JESUS AND OUR SPEECH.  More than once has Jesus spoken about our speech and how we should regulate it. First, Jesus says the following: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45) Meaning? What issues forth from our mouth is a clear sign of what we actually have within the depths of our being which is our heart. In other words, from a pure, humble, and clean heart will come forth noble, enlightening, and edifying words.

A SOLEMN WARNING FROM JESUS.  Jesus, the Word made flesh of the eternal Father, also made this affirmation: “Every careless word that comes forth from your mouth will be judged.” (Mt. 12: 36) This statement can shock us into a serious reflection on how we are actually using the gift of speech. It is worthy of a serious examination of conscience. I like to imagine it in this fashion. Every time we open up our mouth, our Guardian Angel presses the play button on an audio recorder—Podcast, if you like. These words are recorded and we will take this before the Lord Jesus on the Day of our Judgment which happens at the very moment of our death.

AVOIDING USELESS WORDS.  On another occasion, Jesus, once again referring to the use of our tongue in speech, says the following: “Let your conversation be Yes, yes and No, no. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Mt. 5: 37) In a very real sense, Jesus challenges us to work on curbing our tongue from uttering not only harmful words, but useless and frivolous chatter.

SAINT JAMES CHAPTER 3.  Perhaps one of the best chapters in the Bible on the abuse of verbal communication, or if you like, the sins of the tongue, can be found in the heart of the Letter of Saint James—chapter three! This letter encourages us to think before we speak. He states that animals can be trained and ships can be directed, but the human tongue not so easily. In the Letter of Saint James, he reminds us that teachers will be held to a more strict account. Saint James also points out that with the same tongue that we praise God, we end up by speaking badly about our neighbor. A calm, tranquil and deep meditation on the Letter of Saint James, especially chapter three, can result in an enormous motivation for all of us to make a concerted effort on a daily basis to improve our manner of communication. Great advice: “Let us be quick to listen and slow to speak.” (Jas. 1: 19) The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis states: “Few have regretted not opening their mouths; many for having opened their mouths when they should not have.”

With Biblical words and worthy exhortations as a background, we would like to present a Plan or Strategy to help us improve our speech, upgrade our art of verbal communication. We would like to offer Ten Rules for Verbal Communication.

TEN RULES TO PERFECT OUR VERBAL COMMUNICATION…

1. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.  Of greatest importance in the daily pursuit of our personal sanctification is an ever-deeper union with the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity—the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier. After Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon St. Peter and the Apostles, there was a radical change in them. No longer were they a group of timid, insecure and fearful men.  On the contrary, they became valiant soldiers of Christ. Simon Peter, who denied Jesus three times that Holy Thursday night, on the day of Pentecost preached and 3,000 converts asked for Baptism, due to that one sermon. Let us beg the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts, minds and tongue so as to communicate the truth of God with great love.

2. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.  Saint James states this with astounding clarity: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” (Jas. 1: 19) All too often our impulsive and impetuous nature dominates us and we say things that we regret as soon as they issue forth from our mouth. Remember these three words with regard to our verbal communication: Pray, think, speak. It should be done in that order.

3. GOLDEN RULE IN VERBAL COMMUNICATION.  Jesus taught us the Golden Rule. Everybody understands this—believers as well as non-believers. “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” (Lk. 6: 31) This can easily be applied to speech: “Say to others what you want them to say to you.” We must have this Rule always before us when communicating with others; it can save us from many verbal pitfalls!

4. FILL YOUR MIND WITH TRUTH.  Perhaps this is common sense, but it still should be stated: an empty mind has little to offer that will ennoble and enrich others. If a field is filled with weeds, they must be eradicated before planting good seed. Our mind can be compared to a field, or if you like a garden. Many weeds may be cluttering our minds. By applying ourselves to a daily dose of solid reading and reflection, we are preparing ourselves for a more noble form of communication. Jesus stated it clearly: “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This is what we began with in our exhortation.

5. EXAMINE YOUR CONSCIENCE DAILY.  Make this a daily practice: examine your conscience and your life for that day. The Holy Spirit will point out to you certain actions that were off the mark. He may also shine the light on certain words in your conversation that were unkind, uncharitable, or inappropriate that have to be purified, changed and converted. This is truly an exercise in humility and truth.

6. ADVICE OF SAINT BERNARD—THREE POINTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.  The great Saint Bernard, the Mellifluous Doctor, offers us this short but poignant advice on how we should communicate. “We should open our mouth motivated by these three intentions: “To praise God, to accuse ourselves, and to edify others.” Let’s try to put these into practice!

7. ANGRY, FRUSTRATED, AND EXHAUSTED.  Keep this in mind: there is a time for everything underneath the sun. “A time to speak and a time to be silent.” (Eccl. 3:7) Most likely all of us have learned from experience that when we are angry, frustrated, tired, even exhausted, we are more likely to speak out and hurt others. When we find ourselves in this physical and emotional state, if at all possible, we should take some time away from people, try to calm down, revitalize our energies, and then come back to communicate so as to edify others by our verbal communication.

8. LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS—THE SAINTS.  Let us get in the habit of reading the lives of the saints—they are our models. Read and reflect upon the writings, most especially, of the Fathers of the Church and the Doctors of the Church. Their written words, which in many cases were preached sermons, are full of heavenly Wisdom. Even saints who were not Fathers or Doctors of the Church can teach us by their words, as well as the example of their lives. We should all have favorite saints that we turn to. Let us get a little help from our Heavenly friends.

9. BECOME A CATECHIST.  This suggestion may have taken you off guard, in relation to our topic, but that should not be the case. There is the reason behind this suggestion. Having been a catechist for many years, even before priestly ordination, it is a very efficacious means to help us to communicate—most especially the Word of God. To become a good catechist one must pray, study, prepare the lessons for the class, and then communicate the topic to the students. Of course, the heart of the class will be God, His Word, Sacred Scripture, prayer, Sacraments, and the Moral Teachings of the Church. Perhaps God is calling you to become a catechist to perfect your art of communication, learn and grow in your faith, and grow in holiness. Consider it!

10. OUR LADY: MARY, OUR LIFE, OUR SWEETNESS, AND OUR HOPE.  Mary speaks seven times in the Gospel. (Do you know Mary’s Seven Words?) Aside from Jesus Himself, who is the eternal Word of God, no one ever communicated better than the Blessed Virgin Mary. To help us grow in holiness, and improve our verbal communication, it might be a very good suggestion to pray often to Mary for the gift of communication. However, at least on a daily basis, to pray Mary’s beautiful canticle of praise, known as the Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of God and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”.  Finally, when we speak, let us try to imagine that we are in the presence of Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph. What would they think about our manner of verbal communication? Indeed, this practice can help us to think before we speak, to praise God, and to edify our brothers and sisters by our lives, but most especially through our words! May God bless us and help us in this most noble pursuit!

The Church strongly encourages reading, meditating, pondering, assimilating and, very important, trying to live out the Word of God in our lives. So important is the Word of God that the great Saint Jerome asserted: “Ignorance of the Word of God is ignorance of Christ.” Common sense teaches us that it is literally impossible to fall in love with someone without knowing that person.

GOSPEL RICHES.  Years ago, it was not that easy to read the Bible and the Gospels for two simple reasons: 1) Many people had no Bible; 2) Illiteracy. In an agrarian society—basically farming and tending animals—few even needed to read.

CHALLENGE FOR CATHOLIC CHRISTIANS.  Since the Second Vatican Council, the reading of the Bible, even on a daily basis, has been strongly encouraged.  So much was this the case that one of the most important documents of Vatican II, one of the four Dogmatic Constitutions, focused on the Bible and its preeminent importance. This Dogmatic Constitution is DEI-VERBUM—meaning, the Word of God!

EASY ACCESS TODAY.  Years past not only was there a dire lack of Bibles, as well as widespread ignorance, but knowledge of the Bible was not strongly encouraged. Quite the contrary today! Bibles can be bought at extremely low prices. The Magnificat has the daily Readings in the Mass available on a monthly basis. Electronically, the Bible can be attained with great ease. There are even audio versions of the Bible for those who have difficulty reading.

THE YOUTH.  Now let us turn the page in our Bible exhortations and target the youth, if you like, the teens. The rest of our short treatise will be directed at how we can get the Bible, the Word of God, especially the Gospels into the hands, the minds, the hearts and the lives of our young people.

The Word of God has been compared to a two-edged sword, to our daily Bread, to a light and a lamp to guide our steps on the right path. Steve Wood has even compared the Word of God to that of chlorine. In this context, what chlorine does to cleanse and purify pool water, so does the Word of God cleanse and purify the mind of impure images that have been lodged in our memory bank. Let us offer a concrete and clear program or strategy to get the younger generation hooked on the Word of God, the Bible, and especially the Gospels. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church points to the Gospels as the very Heart of the Bible. Saint Teresa of Avila insists on meditating on the Humanity of Christ in the Bible as one of the most efficacious means to plumb the depths of prayer.

TWELVE STEP PROGRAM FOR ATTRACTING THE YOUNG TO GOD’S WORD.

FIRST FIVE STEPS.

1. PURCHASE THEIR OWN BIBLE FOR THEM.  The starting point should be to make sure that the youth have their own Bible. Having taught Confirmation to teens for many years, very rarely will a teen enter Confirmation with their own Bible. The reason? The teen does not have a Bible. Purchase a hard-cover, if possible leather-bound, Catholic Bible and give it as a gift to your teen.

2. BLESSING.  The Bible is truly the Word of God and the Word of God is to be respected as Sacred. Therefore, have the Bible brought to the priest who can formally bless the Bible with holy water. This will inspire greater respect and reverence for God’s Sacred Word. There is an enormous difference between a pagan book and the Bible, which is truly God’s Word.

3. ENTHRONE THE BIBLE IN YOUR HOME.  Place or even enthrone the Bible in a prominent place in your home. Perhaps at the entrance to your home on a pedestal. Or if you like, in an elevated place between the images of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

4. LITURGICAL REVERENCE FOR THE WORD OF GOD.  Pay attention in special or more solemn Masses (even at times in Sunday Masses) how the Word of God, especially the Book of the Gospels, is venerated. Follow the sequence now. In the entrance procession, the Book of the Gospels is processed in, elevated on high. Once arrived at the Sanctuary, the Book of the Gospels is actually placed in the middle of the altar. Then, before the reading of the Gospel in the context of the Mass, the Book of the Gospels is carried in procession between two altar servers, each carrying a candle, to the lectern. Before reading and explaining the Gospel texts, there is a solemn incensation of the Sacred Book. After the Reading of the Gospel, the minister—Deacon, Priest, or Bishop kisses the Book of the Gospels. All the unwinding of this elaborate sequence of processing with the Bible in the Liturgy of the Mass clearly manifests the great reverence that the Church and its members have for the Word of God.

5. MARY AND THE WORD OF GOD.  Let us never forget the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary with respect to the Word of God. Actually, twice in the Gospel of Saint Luke it is said of Mary, that for her part, she pondered the Word of God in her heart. May Mary inspire and motivate us to sink deeply into the inner recesses of the Word of God.

SEVEN CONCRETE STEPS FOR TEENS TO READ THE WORD OF GOD.

The following will be a simple seven step program to help the teens, our beloved young people, to gradually immerse themselves in the infinite riches of God’s Sacred Word.

1. SET TIME, PLACE AND METHOD TO PRAY.  Encourage the young person to set aside a specific time of the day, a quiet place to meditate on the Word of God, and a prayer method to facilitate the practice.

2. PRAYER COMES BEFORE ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY BEFORE READING GOD’S WORD. Start by praying to Mary, the Hail Mary, and then a short prayer to the Holy Spirit for light, insight, understanding and application of God’s Word.

3. GOSPELS.  Start with the reading of the Gospels with good will and an open heart. The words of the young Samuel in the Temple can motivate us to immerse ourselves in God’s Word: “Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Sam. 3: 10)

4. STOP TO THINK, PONDER, AND APPLY YOUR MIND AND UNDERSTANDING. Now you are reading the Gospel. (It is really God, Jesus Himself, speaking to you). Stop when a word, idea, image or concept seems to speak to you. Ask yourself: what is God saying to me right now in my life and circumstances?

5. SPEAK TO THE LORD.  Go now from the head to the heart. (Sometimes these few inches are hard to traverse!!!) Allow one of the ideas in the Gospel to touch your feelings, your emotions, and your heart. Then bring this up and speak to the Lord about it. Use whatever words or expressions that you feel most at ease with in expressing your thoughts. Jesus is easy to speak to because He loves you deeply and understands you profoundly.

6. REVISION.  After you have finished your time of Biblical meditation, spend at least a short time with pen and notebook in hand to write down what idea, concept, inspiration, message, exhortation, or insight seemed to captivate you most. Write down at least a few ideas.

7. SHARING.  When the opportunity presents itself, share your Biblical meditation with someone else. Maybe in a Bible group, or youth encounter, or a friendly chat with a good friend or two. Pope Saint John Paul II stated that one of the best ways that we can grow in our faith is to share our faith with others.

The Last Words of Jesus before ascending into Heaven were to go out to the whole world and to teach what He taught, and then to baptize. Then Jesus left a most consoling promise to all of His followers now and to the end of time. “I will be with you always until the end of time.” (Mt. 28: 20)

It is our most ardent hope and desire that all will share this message, especially to the young, to the teens, so that they will fall in love with the Lord Jesus by reading, meditating, understanding, assimilating and living out the infinite treasures and riches of the Word of God.

Prayer is essential for our eternal salvation. Definitions abound on prayer! Saint John Damascene states: “Prayer is the lifting of the mind and the heart to God.” Saint Teresa of Avila summarizes prayer as simply, “A loving conversation with the friend that I know loves me.” Saint Alphonsus asserts with vigor: “He who prays much, will be saved; he who does not pray, will be damned; he who prays little, places his salvation in jeopardy.” Saint Augustine, in his usual original, poetic and mystical fashion pipes up: “He who prays well, lives well; he who lives well, dies well; he who dies well, all is well.” A short but substantial catechetical definition for prayer follows as such: “Prayer is listening to God, talking to God, and loving God.” Finally, prayer is of such enormous importance that it can be expressed with these moving words: “What air is to the lungs, so prayer is to the soul.” In a word, if there is no prayer inhaling and exhaling in our spiritual lungs, we will simply wither up and die in our soul!

The above are classical quotes and statements, as well as definitions on the nature and importance of prayer. In this brief essay, we would like to portray and open up a window to prayer that perhaps very few have dared to enter.

MODES FOR PRAYER.  In classical Catholic writings on prayer, there are basically four modes of prayer that usually surface and are explained. These can be summarized in a four-letter acronym: A.C.T.S. Each one of the four letters expresses a different mode for prayer, or if you like, a different means of communication. In fact, another way to define prayer is communication with God. Here we have it!

A= ADORATION: We are called to praise, glorify and worship our Triune God.

C= CONTRITION: We stumble and fall into sin! So we beg pardon and mercy for our moral transgressions, that we call sins.

T= THANKSGIVING: We render thanks to God for all the many blessings that God in His goodness has bestowed upon us.

S= SUPPLICATION: Augustine states that we are all beggars before God. We are all in dire need that God will help us when we call upon Him.

Beyond a shadow of doubt, all of the above modes, manners or various sentiments in prayer have incalculable value. However, being dead honest with ourselves, and what is going on in our daily lives with so many struggles, we should add another mode or form of prayer.

Saint Peter in one of his letters opens the gates, the door, the window, and the roof to another form of prayer that perhaps we have never utilized. It can be summed up in these few words, the title of this blog-article: “Cast your cares upon the lord, for he cares for you.” Jesus expressed it in these words:  “Come to me, all you who find life burdensome, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Mt. 11: 28-30)

How can we interpret these words of Saint Peter and the Lord Jesus Himself related to the modes or manners of expression that prayer can play out in our lives?

BRING YOUR PROBLEMS, WORRIES, AND TROUBLES TO THE LORD.  On a human level, if we always unload our problems, worries and troubles on someone else, before long they will do all they possibly can to avoid us. That is human nature!  We weary quickly of listening to people unload their problems to us. Listening to others’ problems stresses us out, causes us tension, can provoke irritability, can sap our energy, and at times simply bore our socks off!!!

GOD IS DIFFERENT: MODEL OF INFINITE PATIENCE AND LOVE.  With God it is very different! The Lord never gets tired of us. Whenever we come to Him, He does not turn the corner and run in the opposite direction. No matter how often and long we talk to the Lord, He never gets bored, he never yawns, looks at His watch, or scratches His scalp!  

Quite the contrary, every time we approach the Lord with faith, humility, confidence, good will, and a desire to be heard and understood, He listens to us, gives us His undivided attention, and sincerely loves us. All the baggage that we can unload and throw at His feet, He is willing to pick up and help us to carry.

Having set the stage for this perhaps new mode or form of prayer, why not make a list of certain areas of concern, worry, or anxiety that can be part and parcel of your unloading to the Lord. Take as a Biblical foundation, the words of the Letter from Saint Peter: CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD, BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU!

1. HEALTH.  In his 80’s my Father was known to say: “You arrive at a certain age and your body falls apart one piece at a time.” Many of us can identify with this truism after reaching a certain age. There is no reason why we cannot talk over with the Lord our aches and pains, our ailments and sicknesses. The Lord will listen to us attentively and encourage us not to waste our pain, suffering, and ailments, but rather offer them up for the salvation of souls, for our family and other souls. Another good one related to the sanctification of suffering is the following: “Suffering can either make us better or bitter!!!” Hopefully it will make us better, rather than bitter!

2. FAMILY PROBLEMS.  Not one of us can honestly say that our family is perfect and without problems. This will be the case only when we arrive at our Heavenly Home. Why not unload to the Lord Jesus your family situation? Tell Jesus about a person in your family who perhaps is causing you indescribable suffering, anguish and pain. Jesus will definitely hear this prayer and intervene, though perhaps not in your time or manner of operation. But He will hear your prayer and He will intervene.  God is not indifferent to our family anguish.

3. ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.  Many have economic straits that are extremely critical. Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph understand this perhaps better than us! Jesus was born in the poor stable of Bethlehem. The Holy Family had to take flight to Egypt with no promise of economic security whatever. In His Public Life that lasted about three years, Jesus had no fixed abode! He said of Himself: “Foxes have holes; the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Mt. 8: 20) Cast your cares on the Lord—and then trust!

4. SON OR DAUGHTER DISTANT FROM GOD.  One of the greatest sufferings of so many parents today is the fact that their adult children have walked away from both God and the Church. Despite their Baptism, First Holy Communion, and possibly having been an altar server or in the choir, many in the younger generation no longer want to touch even the threshold of the Church. These are the Prodigal children (Lk. 15: 11-32), the lost sheep, the ship lost at sea with no mooring, nor anchor. Talk to the Lord about these loved ones and beg Jesus for their return to the fold.

5. EMOTIONAL STRESS AND ANXIETY.  Never have we lived in a world and society so advanced technologically. But never have we lived in a world where so many of us have succumbed to anxiety and stress. Anxiety pills, psychological treatment, stress leave from work, prolonged vacations—all come as a result of anxiety and stress. Why not listen and heed to the words of Saint Peter and trust: CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD, BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU!!!

6. UNFULFILLED GOALS AND DREAMS.  We should all have goals and dreams in life. Perhaps our goals and dreams have never become a reality and are still only dreams. How we long for these dreams to come true, but nothing even close to reality has occurred. Our God is a God of surprises, and also of miracles. Even the most distant hope can still crystalize and materialize with God’s intervention. The Psalmist reassures us: “Our help is in the name of the Lord who make heaven and earth.”(Ps: 124: 8)

7. THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES.  Sooner or later death will knock at the door of our lives. As John Donne, the poet expresses it: “Do not ask for whom the bell tolls; the bell tolls for you.” Many of us cannot reconcile ourselves with the fact that one of our loved ones has been taken by the phantom of death. Jesus raised Lazarus form the dead, and He Himself died and rose from the dead. Talk to the Lord about the death of your loved one and then contemplate the reality of the Resurrection. Jesus indeed is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!!!

8. OMINOUS THREAT OF THE FUTURE AND WHAT IT PRESENTS.  None of us can deny that the world is in turmoil, confusion and upheaval. It is all too easy to look into the dark tunnel of the future and almost give into despair. Much better to heed the words of the Holy Spirit: CAST YOUR CARES UPON THE LORD, BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU! Jesus chided His own saying worry is useless; what is needed is faith in Him and trust!

9. DOUBTS AND TEMPTATIONS REGARDING OUR FAITH.  Another source of anxiety, tension and suffering is that many are assaulted with doubts regarding their faith. Why not express these doubts to the Lord? Jesus will come to you and gently rebuke you and encourage you, as in the case of Saint Thomas, the doubter, to renew your faith in His love, providence, and constant care. May the words of the Psalmist buoy up our sinking ship: “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” (Psalm 23:1)

10. OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AND SAINT JUAN DIEGO.  Saint Juan Diego was afflicted with a very serious problem—the near death of his uncle, Juan Bernardino. On December 12^th, 1531, Juan met Our Lady on the hill of Tepeyac and she consoled him in his worries, anxieties and fears. These were Our Lady of Guadalupe’s consoling words to Juan and to us: “Do not be afraid; am I not your Mother? I have you in the very closing of my arms (my heart); you are in my shadow (I am always present); in the folding of my apron/tilma (in my very womb).