Meditation for September 7, A Time to Speak

"To keep silent when it is one's duty to speak," a moralist remarked, "is as great a fault as to speak when one should be silent."

I can fail in my duty by speaking when God wishes me to be silent, or by failing against obedience, charity or humility when I am permitted to speak. But I am more concerned now with, the faults I commit by not speaking.

Perhaps, through a motive of vanity, I keep still in recreation, when true simplicity demands that I speak a little and take a more amiable part in the common relaxation.

Perhaps, to avoid compromising myself, I prefer to remain in my corner, when it would be better to consult competent authorities.

Perhaps, through negligence or laziness, I neglect to inform those who have a right to know, of serious violations of rule of which I alone may have knowledge. Surely great prudence is needed here.

There are some who imagine they have certain confidences to ad­dress to their superiors, but who would do better to keep their criticisms and insinuations to themselves; if I must intervene it should only be after prayer and reflection.

Superiors have some­thing else to do besides listening to gossip without foundation or proof, or to tales of all kinds concocted by too fertile imaginations.

I must try to know how to speak and to dare to speak, but only when it is necessary.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)