Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Let your "Yes" mean "Yes" and your "No" mean "No."(Matthew 5:37)
In the past, whenever I’ve read today’s Gospel passage, I interpret its message as say what you mean and mean what you say. However, perhaps there’s a deeper meaning. Jesus is not just saying do what you say you’re going to do but also be intentional with what you are going to say.
This intentionality reminds me of the Five Silences that are part of the System of Virtues that Fr. William Joseph Chaminade developed for the Marianist Family (Lay Marianists, Marianist Sisters, and Marianist Brothers and Priests) The System of Virtues’ goal is to help people be more like Jesus Christ through imitating his virtues. One of these silences is the Silence of Words. This silence doesn’t mean to be quiet. It is the recognition that our words have an impact on other people. Therefore, we must be aware of how we use words. Do they inspire and encourage or do they divide and bring people down? An essential aspect of the Silence of Words is to know when to speak and when to be silent, using words to stand for what is good and right. This Silence is a habit and skill that we develop as Fr. Quentin Hackenewerth, SM points out in his book Growing in the Virtues of Jesus, “We develop silence of words by becoming aware of our own habits and by recognizing what is behind them. Then we ‘silence’ what comes from our ego and let our speaking be guided more and more by the attitudes of Jesus and our true self,” (23).
A model for us of someone who practiced the Silence of Words is Mary. She was intentional with what she said. For example, in the Magnificat, she used words to glorify God, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior,” (Luke 1:46-47). She also attested to God’s goodness, “The hungry [God] has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty,” (Luke 1:52-53). In Cana, she informed her son, “They have no wine,” (John 2:3) and subsequently told the servants to “Do whatever he tells you,” (John 2:5). Consequently, Jesus made his first public miracle, turning water into wine. Moreover, Mary knew when to be silent. To illustrate, she pondered in her heart the message of the angels that the shepherds told her and what happened when she found Jesus in the Temple. Additionally, she was silent at Calvary (John 19:26-27) and in the upper room (Acts 1:14).
To build the habit of being intentional with our words, it is good to reflect on what we have said and heard. Below are questions that you can ask yourself to help with your reflection.
- What have I said (today, this week, or another time of your choice) that was positive, inspiring, encouraging, or uplifting?
- What have I said (today, this week, or another time of your choice) that was negative and brought others down?
- When did I not speak up when I should have?
- When have I listened to others? What did they say that had an impact on me?
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI