The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-02-04
The Catholic PuIpit-The Voice of God

"Speech is silver. but silence is gold" This
aphorism, often quoted, never denied, is yet
but seldom adhered to faithfully. Ages before
the PRONUNCIATION of the idea in the trite form
given above, Zeno, we are told, of all virtues
made choice of silence. The Trappist Monks
to tn is day cling to the golden side of the pro-
position. Their holy offices, their charitable
pursuits, are carried in silence. Their
voices are never heard save in chanting and
prayer. But every man cannot he n philosopher
like Zeno nor monk of La Trappe.
Speech is God-given-the chief attribute that
distinguishes man from the brute. In sup
pressing the voice, we bury one of the talents
that the master has given US. True, when
misapplied, evil comes to us; when idly used,
it is mere tinkling cymbal, sounding brass;
but when employed as God directs, then it is
that speech is gold, and silence would be but
silver. O..
Oar subject insensib'y leads US back to the
time of the creation, and we reflect that the
primeval Language, about which linguists and
philologists write SO much and disagree, must
have been the acme and perfection of human
speech We know that the physical attributes
of man must have lost power and beauty by
the FALL just as his soul lost grace and
strength. On the faculty of speech more
heavily than on any other did the malediction
fall; for our other senses minister only to
ourselves, while speech brings forth our Utmost
Thoughts, and can be used moro to the detr-
ment of our fellow man than any other faculty.
Do we we not know that the tongue of Islander
is more potent for evil than army with
| banners :
Later on, when man became more and more
| wicked, speech received an additional curse.
| 1t was only after man had been redeemed that
the malediction of Babel was removed, even in
| the case of the Apostles by the gift of tongues.
If this be not sufficient to show that speech is
| under a special ban, the insufficiency of Ian
guage itself proves the fact, No matter what
eloquence be displayed, the whole range of the
vocabulary may be exhausted, yet tho most
vivid description of scene or an occurrence
| is utterly worthless when one can view the
| spectacle witness the event. Since this is
| true of direct, material things, how feeble and
inadequate then must language be to interpret
| abstract ideas, the emotions and the passions.
Strange to say, however, it is in this, it's weak
est point, that language is most useful and
effective. An idea, present and living in our
mind can be presented to the mind of another
only in language. Our doubts, our hopes. our
loves, our fears, all the sentiments and feelings
of the soul, End utterance hazily and imper-
fectly, but best in speech.
Since the Holy Ghost set his seal upon God
given speech, fulfilling the wonder foreshown
when God "touched Isaiah's hallowed lips
with fire." by descending in the form Of fiery
tongues, Mother Church has ever shown her
preference for the word of God preached over
any written dogmas or printed exhortations.
The command of Christ was to so forth and
preach" Go ye, and teach all nations" The
Holy Spirit endowed them with the power to
fulfil the injunction, by giving them the gift Of
tongues.
Revilers of the Church mock at Catholics
for hearkening to the voice of their preachers.
and relying upon their words instead of read
ing and judging for themselves. For such
people, "speech indeed is silver and silence
gold" but for us, who remember Christs COM
mand, "speech is golden" 1t 10 for us to hear.