SINS OF THE TONGUE
THE EVILS OF THE TONGUE: “For every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it on the day of judgement.” – Jesus Christ, St. Matthew 12: 36. A fault against which we must guard because we so easily fall into it, is the unmortification of the tongue. Oh! How easy it is to err in words! How rare a thing it is to speak for any length of time without offending against meekness, humility, sincerity, or Christian charity. Even pious persons are often subject to this defect, when they have escaped all other snares of the demon, they allow themselves to be taken, says St. Jerome, in this last trap, slander. “He that useth many words, shall hurt his own soul.” Ecclus. 20:8. All Scripture quotations wil be taken from drbo.org, Douay Rheims Bible online. Let us listen to what is related by Vincent de Beauvias.
When the dreaded Durand who, in the eleventh century, shed lustre on the order of St. Dominic, was yet a simple religious, he showed himself a model of regularity and fervor, yet he had one defect. The vivacity of his disposition led him to talk to much: he was excessively fond of witty expressions, often at the expense of charity. Hugh, his Abbot, brought this under his notice, even predicting that, if he did not correct himself of this fault, he would certainly have to expiate it in purgatory! Durand did not attach sufficient importance to this advice, and continued to give himself without much restraint to the disorder of the tongue. After his death, the prediction of Abbot Hugh was fulfilled. Durand appeared to a Religious, one of his friends, imploring him to assist him with his prayers, for he was frightfully punished for the unmortification of his tongue. In consequence of this apparition, the members of the community unanimously agreed to observe strict silence for eight days, and to practice other good works for the repose of the deceased. These charitable exercises produced their effect, some time after Durand again appeared but now to announce his deliverance. Two reasons why Durand was allowed to appear and ask prayers for help. One is, to teach us the lesson of mortifying our tongue, or suffer the consequences. Two, no doubt, he had been merciful in praying for the Poor Souls in his lifetime, so God granted him the grace to ask for mercy for himself from purgatory. “Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy.” St. Matthew 5:7.