The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-02
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(DOCTRINAE. SS@82s EITURGICAL.\


so and in a greater degree evil con-
versations injure the soul of man. To
these the Apostle refers when he says:
"The tongue is indeed a little
member, and boasteth great things.
Behold how small a fire kindleth a
great wood" Games iii, 81. Impure
conversation kindles great fire, lay
ing waste both the soul of him that
speaks and of him that listens.
Impure language is disgrace to
him who utters it on account to the
source from which it comes 1t pro-
ceeds from an ill-regulated heart.
Who, as rule, are they that indulge
in this kind of language? Silly young
men that do not weigh their words,
who think themselves smart in speak
ing of such. subjects. Or they are
frivolous men whose age has not yet
taught them the gravity due to good
manners or good morals. They think
they cannot laugh unless there be
scurrility and impurity in their con-
versation
Impure language arises from an i'm
a single modest and well-behaved
young man who INDUCED in impure
language? Sanity youths, such as St..
Aloysius and St. Stanislaus, actually
swooned away if anything unfit for
chaste ears was said in their presence,
such was the sensitiveness of their
pure souls. Our Lord says: Out of
the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh." duke vi, 49, From the
heart come forth evil thoughts,
adulteries, foundations" (Matt XIV.
49, The axiom of st. Chrysostom
was: CAS- the heart, so the words. !"
St: Bernard tells us: "The Utmost
heart is often revealed by the tes-
timony of speech, because the tongue
expresses that of which the heart is
full. Impure conversation is the in
dex to an impure heart Such a heart
is like swamp from which evil words
arise like a poisonous exhalation.'
: The subject of impure conversation
is one of which everyone ought to be
ashamed, for it is impurity Impurity
brings the curse of God upon those
that practice it. The man who talks
in filthy manner proclaims his own
shame by showing that he delights in
what is low and degrading. More
over, the subject of impure converse
, ton is one that gives great scandal
Immodest words fall like red-hot
sparks into the soul of the listener
, and cause it to burn with a great
fame. 1t is an Indictment to sin. To
lead others into sin is a shameful and
, accursed deed, which Our Lord con-
demned in the strongest terms: "Woe
to the world because of scandals. For
it must needs be that scandals come:
nevertheless woe to that man by
whom the scandal cometh." Matt
} xviii. ~ Such one disgraces him.
! self and calls down the condemnation
of God upon his head. Shame upon
J him who prostitutes his lips by utter
ing such language!
The instrument used in uttering
words that are unchaste is the tongue
God gave us speech to praise Him
, and the unclean man abuses it for
filthy language. LET no evil proceed
from your mouth, but that which is
good, that it may minister grace to
, hearers" (Ephes. iv, 29). He who
talks in an immodest manner
| illustrates the purpose for which God
gave him the tongue; he employs ii
for purpose directly opposed to that
for which it was made.
The tongue is the member on which
we receive the Body of Christ, and the
| evil speaker defiles it with impurity
, No other member is allowed to touch
the Sacred Host than the tongue; as
: often as we receive the Body of Our
Lord the tongue becomes for few
, moments the throne of His Majesty
| Thus the tongue is sanctifed By
, uttering filthy words it is desecrated
in the most shameful manner How
, shameful a thing it u.s." exclaims St.
: Chrysostom," that the tongue, the
: noble member, the tongue, which has
, often touched the Body of Christ
which has been moistened with the
Blood of the Lord, should be misused
to so vile purpose! Is it right and
| fitting that speech or a song that
: outrages decency should proceed Out
, of the mouth of Christian, the same
mouth which has so often received
the Body of the Lord?' He who
speaks indecently disgraces himself
, and def1les the tongue which has been
, sanctified by contact with God.