Practical Devotion of the Day: The Sin of Murmuring and How to Atone

Its ease. Whoever does not sin with the tongue is perfect, says St. James (I, 5). Every time I spoke to men, I always came back as a lesser man, that is, less holy, says the Imitation of Christ: who can hold back the tongue? One murmurs out of hatred, out of revenge, out of jealousy, out of pride, in order to be admired, for not knowing what to say, out of a misunderstood desire to correct others .. almost no one knows how to speak without murmuring. Study your way on this point ...

His malice. A threefold evil encloses murmuring, almost a three-edged sword: the first is the sin against charity against the murmur himself, mortal or venial, according to the gravity of the murmuring; the second is a scandal to the person with whom we murmur, also enticed by our words to say evil; the third is the theft of the honor and fame of the person rumored about; malice that cries out to God for vengeance. Who thinks of such a serious evil?

Murderer Repair. If everyone cherishes his fame much more than wealth, whoever steals honor and fame is much more in obligation of restitution than the common thief. Think of the murmur; neither the Church nor the Sacraments dispense you, only the impossibility makes you exempt. He repairs himself by retracting himself, by divulging the virtues of the person of whom he is rumored, by praying for her. Have you nothing to make amends for your murmuring?

PRACTICE. - Never murmur; do not indulge the murmurers.