Have you ever considered how a single careless word can spread beyond your control, wreaking havoc you never intended? The first Saturday of Lent invites us to examine one of our most common yet destructive spiritual ailments—sins of the tongue.
Drawing from Mark's Gospel, we reflect on how Jesus healed the sick with just the touch of his garment, prompting us to recognize our own spiritual infirmities. The meditation focuses particularly on our tendency toward gossip, detraction, and calumny—sins that might seem minor but cause irreparable damage. St. Philip Neri's brilliant illustration of this truth comes alive as we hear about the penitent told to pluck a chicken and then gather all the scattered feathers, an impossible task mirroring the irretrievable harm of our careless words.
What makes this reflection particularly powerful is its unexpected relevance to our digital lives. As I reflect on my own social media habits, I realize how platforms like Twitter have supercharged our ability to commit these sins, allowing us to instantly broadcast potentially harmful statements to thousands. The meditation's warning that "in every society, none are more to be feared than those who speak ill of their neighbor" takes on new urgency when we consider how digital gossip erodes the very trust our communities need to survive.
The five practical resolutions offered—from not involving ourselves in what doesn't concern us to avoiding all insulting words—provide a challenging Lenten practice for anyone seeking spiritual growth. Whether you're struggling with everyday gossip or finding yourself caught in cycles of online criticism, this meditation offers both the uncomfortable mirror of self-recognition and the hopeful path toward healing our speech.
Subscribe to join our Lenten journey as we continue tomorrow with reflections on prayer for the First Sunday of Lent, and share your own experiences of taming the tongue in our increasingly digital world.
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Have you ever wondered what happened after the Book of Acts closes? The story of Christianity's explosive growth through the ancient world might be the most thrilling chapter in Church history you've never fully explored.
Joshua Charles, founder of Eternal Christendom, takes us on a captivating journey through the grand narrative of salvation history, revealing how Greek philosophy, Roman order, and Hebrew revelation converged at the perfect moment for Christ's arrival. This isn't just ancient history—it's the story we're still living today.
Discover how the early Church Fathers understood prophecy unfolding before their eyes as pagan temples fell and Christian altars rose across the empire. Learn why St. Thomas Aquinas identified "obedience to the Roman Church" as the mysterious restrainer mentioned in Scripture, and why this matters for our current moment.
The conversation ventures into fascinating territory as Joshua addresses the recurring biblical motif of older and younger brothers—from ...
Christ is risen! The glorious transformation we've been preparing for through forty days of Lenten sacrifice has arrived, but what happens to our spiritual journey now?
This meditation explores the profound significance of Eastertide—not merely as the end of Lenten disciplines but as the beginning of a new way of living. From the triumphant moment when "light has triumphed over darkness," we are called to understand that Easter isn't about abandoning our spiritual progress, but redirecting it toward a fuller expression of our life in Christ.
As St. Paul reminds us, being "risen with Christ" means elevating our desires toward heaven while detaching from mere earthly satisfactions. For newly baptized Catholics, this season marks their first days in the faith, while for all believers, it offers a time to balance joyful celebration with continued spiritual growth. The Easter octave specifically highlights this transition as we learn to live out the new life received in baptism.
The meditation offers ...
Have you ever wondered what happened after the Book of Acts closes? The story of Christianity's explosive growth through the ancient world might be the most thrilling chapter in Church history you've never fully explored.
Joshua Charles, founder of Eternal Christendom, takes us on a captivating journey through the grand narrative of salvation history, revealing how Greek philosophy, Roman order, and Hebrew revelation converged at the perfect moment for Christ's arrival. This isn't just ancient history—it's the story we're still living today.
Discover how the early Church Fathers understood prophecy unfolding before their eyes as pagan temples fell and Christian altars rose across the empire. Learn why St. Thomas Aquinas identified "obedience to the Roman Church" as the mysterious restrainer mentioned in Scripture, and why this matters for our current moment.
The conversation ventures into fascinating territory as Joshua addresses the recurring biblical motif of older and younger brothers—from ...
When evangelical leader Charlie Kirk declared "the antidote to feminism is our Lady," Catholics across social media took notice. His surprising admission that "we as Protestants and Evangelicals under-venerate Mary" has sparked intense conversation about whether the prominent conservative commentator might be on a path toward Rome.
The statement represents a significant theological shift for Kirk, who went on to praise Mary as "a phenomenal example and a counter to so much of the toxicity of feminism in the modern era." While careful not to overstate what's happening, we examine this moment through a Catholic lens, exploring how devotion to Mary has historically led many Protestant thinkers toward Catholic teaching. Reports that Kirk has been attending weekday Mass with his wife add an intriguing dimension to the discussion.
We also revisit Michael Knowles' earlier conversation with Kirk about Catholicism, analyzing the challenges of interfaith dialogue when trying to balance ...
Are you tired of the inaction of pro-life leadership and legislators on the issue of getting rid of abortion in our nation? Are you tired of being lectured by the feminist pro-life leadership about how wanting the complete abolition of abortion in the manner that it must be done is harmful to women (for some reason)? Well I have the place for you, it's Catholics for Abolition! Our mission is dedicated helping achieve the abolition and eradication of abortion, spreading the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the nations, and giving Catholics a home within the Protestant-dominated abortion abolitionist movement that is by Catholics, for Catholics. If you're interested in following our work, be sure to follow us on X, and if you are interested in getting more involved with us, shoot us or my personal X account a DM. God Bless, and I pray that Our Lord calls and convicts you to protect the unborn by calling for the abolition of abortion!
X account: Catholics for Abolition (@Caths4Abolition)
I was having lunch with my mom when I was talking about a lawyer. I mentioned a few things about him, "he's blind, from Michigan, Jewish", and then she flipped out, especially after I mentioned that my tongue slipped after saying the last part. She said Iwas being hateful and "racist" for mentioning that, and swore that I said "those people", though I don't recall that at all.
When I explained that "a lot of my generation feels that way", she got mad, and said how she doesn't want me to be like those people on tv (the "stop Jewish violence" ads) and then had me sit down with my dad and I like I was a little kid (I get that she was concerned, but overbearing mothers really can be a problem. She said she didn't want me to be antisemetic and that I act "hollier than thou." My dad was more open to what I meant, but that whole thing was a blow to the stomach. I listen to you and Nick Funetes about the Jews, but I wonder if I'm in too deep. I don't hate Jewish people or really anybody, but I do...
