|
Dear Friends and Benefactors,
As we all know, God gives us all that we need for life,
whether it be our bodily, spiritual or civil life. But very often we abuse these
gifts and commit crimes against Him. Most of us quickly recognize the numerous
and grievous sins, committed against bodily and spiritual life, e.g.,
against the fifth and seventh commandments, such as abortion and religious
indifference. Too often, however, we overlook the crimes committed against civil
life which are much more numerous, can be just as grievous, and which we
ourselves are often guilty of. I speak here of sins committed against the honor
and good name of our neighbor, which are protected by the eighth commandment:
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." This
commandment not only forbids false evidence given under oath but also those
offenses against truth and our neighbor’s character.
Generally speaking there are two sins against truth. The
most common of these is lying by which we knowingly and
deliberately say what is not true. The other, hypocrisy, offends truth by
our pretending to be better or more pious than we are in order thereby to
deceive others. A lie attacks the truth by means of words, be they spoken or
written; but hypocrisy works by acts and deeds, by general demeanor, by what it
does not do and sometimes even by tears and works of penance. Thus Truth is
wounded even more deeply by hypocrisy than by lying since it uses the cloak of
virtue, piety, faith, and justice to conceal its immorality and accomplish its
wicked designs.
In considering the offenses
against our neighbor’s character, we see a large variety of sins which can also
be classified under several general titles.
The first is the sin of detraction, by which we
reveal, without necessity, the hidden faults our neighbor has truly committed.
By this sin our neighbor’s good reputation suffers, is lessened, wounded and may
even be destroyed.
Another offense is the sin of calumny, by which
faults are imputed to our neighbor that he does not have or real faults are
exaggerated. Calumny may also represent something that has happened once as
being frequent or habitual, make what was trifling appear to be of great
importance, or supply an evil motive for quite unintentional acts.
Also there is the offense of tale-bearing whereby,
with evil motives, we repeat to another what someone else has said against them.
Injurious words differ from those spoken of so far in
that they are done in our neighbor’s presence, to his very face.
Lastly we can consider the offenses against the character
of our neighbor under the titles of false suspicion and rash judgement.
Unlike the previous they do not consist of words but of thoughts and we are
guilty of them when we think ill of our neighbor, without sufficient grounds.
False suspicion only supposes and thinks probable what is evil; while rash
judgement holds it to be true and certain.
These and other sins are very
detrimental to the proper peace and order of civil life and too often are found
even among "those of the household of the Faith." How often do we set ourselves
up as the censors of our neighbor, habitually criticizing their faults and
imperfections? We don’t hesitate to attribute unworthy motives even to their
good actions. Or we sometimes affect a sublime pity, like the Pharisee, for the
poverty and weakness of others, and thank God that we are not like them. At
other times we praise our neighbors’ virtues, merely to get an opportunity of
showing their imperfections, or speak about them sarcastically in order to wound
their reputations seriously. Contentions, jealousies and envies often distract
the civil life of our parishes and change even the paradise of family life into
perpetual misery.
During this month of October let
us make the effort to overcome our shortcomings in these areas. Let us make
proper use of our tongues to sing the praises of God, especially by the faithful
daily recitation of the Holy Rosary. It will help to bring peace to our souls
and eventually spread it to our families, parishes, and even throughout the
world.
Sincerely yours in Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary,
Fr. John D. Fullerton
|
