Friday, November 23, 2007

St Columban

From an instruction by St. Columban, abbot:
The most valuable objects are usually the most fragile; costly things require the most careful handling. Particularly fragile is that which is lost by wanton talk and destroyed by the slightest injury to a brother. Men like nothing better than minding or discussing the business of others, passing superfluous comments at random and criticizing people behind their backs. So those who cannot say: The Lord has given me a discerning tongue, that I may with a word support him who is weary should keep silent, or if they do say anything it should promote peace. (The Roman Breviary)
Share

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think it is interesting that so many people are guilty of indulging in the very thing they detest in others....gossip being one of the things. What happened to the advice of, "If you can't say anything nice about someone don't say anything."

elena maria vidal said...

Yes, it is easy to forget all those little things, which ultimately can become big things.