FORTIETH LESSON
On Slander.
"Detract not one another, my brethren."—ST. JAMES 4:11
The Apostle St. James advised the Christians of his time to put a check on their tongues, so as to avoid all sin by word of mouth. I have already tried, my dear children, to inspire you with a great horror of he most dreadful of these sins: falsehood, and calumny; there are many others fully as hateful in the sight of the Lord, which are slander, mocking words, or indiscreet and useless ones.
You know in what slander consists. Is there a single one of us, my children, who has nothing to reproach himself with on this head? Who considers himself as bound to strict secrecy as far as regards the faults of his neighbor? No doubt slander is less odious than calumny; but the evil that results from both is the same. Besides, it cannot be atoned for. When you have had the misfortune to accuse an innocent person, you can do that person justice by owning you have told a falsehood, by declaring that you have made a mistake, but when the accusations are well founded, atonement is impossible, for the mischief is done.
You cannot as yet understand, my children, what may be the terrible consequences of slander; you do not see any great harm in saying of your companions that they are liars or that they are disobedient. At your age, it is true, slander cannot bear a serious aspect; but let me ask you, my dear friends, would you be pleased if your playfellows, at the risk of having you scolded, were to tell anything you do? Certainly not. Have you then forgotten the precept of Christian charity that tells us: "Do not unto others what you would not that they should do unto you?"
Keep then secret the wrong deeds of your young friends, unless it be necessary to make them known.
If, for instance, a child's disobedience brought him into danger, it would then be your duty to warn his parents. If one of your playfellows were not the good and well-behaved child he was thought to be, when recommended to you as a friend; if he set you bad example and gave you bad advice, you would do well to inform your mother, so that she might take you away from this dangerous company. In these two circumstances, my children, conscience will enable you to discern the motive which obliges you to speak. A good and charitable child will be very unhappy and sad when obliged to accuse a playfellow, while, on the contrary, a child given to slander, feels a sort of wicked pleasure in giving way to this sin.
Slander would not be so common, my children, if we judged others less hastily and with more indulgence. You very easily suppose that this little girl has such and such a fault: are you quite sure of this? Often you only repeat the slanderings of others, you condemn on mere suspicion: when about to bring an accusation against any one, the first thing to be done, is to make sure there is no likelihood of a mistake.
And even when you have every certainty, my children, when you no longer entertain any doubt as to the guilt of your friends, is there then no way to excuse them, or at least do you not need to pity them? Perhaps these poor children were badly taught? Perhaps no one thought of reprimanding or correcting them? Besides, they were born perhaps with less inclinations towards good than you; this is not their fault, and imperfect as they still are, who knows, if they have not already quite corrected themselves, if they have not made more efforts to master their temper than you, who accuse them, have made to master yours? Reflect on yourselves, my children, and the remembrance of your own faults will make you more indulgent for those of your neighbors.
I also advise you, not to allow yourself to give way to a certain love of fun, by which you turn everybody into ridicule, and mischievously pick out all that may be laughed at in others. Such a character generally makes itself hateful; it bespeaks a frivolous mind, and what is worse still, an unkind heart. And in reality, what do you see to laugh at, particularly at your age? A strange face, a language to which you are not accustomed, and must I add, very often, alas! some sad infirmity, which is the cause of great distress to the unfortunate being thus afflicted, and which, however, is but ridiculous in your eyes! I know your intention is not a bad one, you only want to joke and to laugh: but think how a joke may wound and hurt; think how wicked it would be to laugh at what causes grief to another.
A few moments' reflection, a certain reserve, the habit of silence, of that silence which becomes the young so well, would keep you from many faults. It is generally your wish to talk at random, without any reasonable motive and for the mere sake of talking, that turns you into slanderers and backbiters, makes you indiscreet, guilty before God, troublesome and harassing to those who are with you. Holy Scripture teaches us that the multitude of words is not without sin, for it is difficult to speak much without offending God or our neighbor; that is why, very likely, we are one day to account for our useless words. Be careful then to avoid them, and pray God, my children, that he may help you never to make either a foolish or a wicked use of the gifts you have received from his bounty.
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