In the third week of Lent, we are invited to reflect on what and how we say … What impact do the words we say on other people …
Every day, millions of words come out of our mouth, depending on the situation there are more or less of them. Certainly we do not think about some at all, sometimes we learn about their effects from others. We are then surprised that we have offended someone and rated with our words. In turn, there are situations when what we say is important to others: these are words of love, friendship and forgiveness. Then we see that relationships deepen and we feel loved and needed by other people. Which words do we use more in our life? …
Who do you learn to speak from? In God, do you discover the best Speaker who by his word wants to comfort you in sadness, give hope when you fall? In the “Diary” of St. Faustina, we read: “Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full” (Diary 1448). These words of hope are a message of mercy for each of us. That’s what God says, He wants to create a new man in us …
Listening to this, as God says, we are able to say words that will also multiply life and strengthen mutual love. Everything God says is good and full of mercy. If we depend only on ourselves, then we can hurt others. St. Faustina writes: ”There is life, but there is also death in the tongue. Sometimes we kill with the tongue: we commit real murders” (Diary 119).
So, repeat every time when we run out of patience and unpleasant words will tear out of our mouth: “Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all” (Diary 163).
Courage!