Have You Heard About Our New Neighbors? Well… Book 3, Ch 45: Don’t Believe Everything You Hear, Even Though We Love to Gossip.

Book 3, Chapter 45: We Must Not Believe Everything We Hear, and that We are Prone to Gossip.

Chapter Focus: Gossip. We love it. Our stories rely on it. The words we wield at one another can be lethal. And the dirty little secrets we hear we want to believe, because they make us feel better about our own sinfulness.

In fact, I’ve had to retitle this Chapter a few times, trying to stay true to Thomas’ spirit here. I came up with what you see at the top of the post, but was tempted to title it:

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear, Even Though We Love to Gossip. 

Because it’s so true. You don’t have to believe me, just ask your neighbor, friend, a stranger!

That said, as I read this Chapter, I’m struck at how Thomas spends the first two paragraphs crying out for help from the Lord. Don’t you wonder what happened? What secret or petty rumor was shared in the intimate walls of the monastery?

I honestly can’t tell. And if I could figure it out, I probably wouldn’t say…maybe. Or might give a hint. You know how it goes? Don’t you.

Just remember as you read this one, that intrigue and jealousy and envy permeates the walls of the most holy of houses. But the closer we draw to Jesus, the more readily we see our sins. Or hear them.

It looks like Thomas’ solution is to cry out to the Lord!

Chapter 45, In Short.

1. The Lord must be my help in times of trouble.
2. Those who trust in the Lord, and seek Him with a genuine heart, do not slip easily.
3. St. Agatha wisely said, “My mind is steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in Christ.”
4. With wisdom You have warned us to beware of everyone, and that our foes may be those of our own household.
5. It is a good thing to be silent concerning others, and not to believe all reports, nor to repeat these further.

Scripture Memory Prayer: “Lord, be my help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 60:13)
Question: Can I stay alert enough as not to encounter some snare of entanglement?
Key Quote: My mind is steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in Christ.

The Text of Chapter 45: We Must Not Believe Everyone, and that We are Prone to Fall in Our Words.

Lord, be my help in times of trouble, for the help of anyone else is vain (Ps 60:13). How often have I failed to find faithfulness and loyalty where I thought I possessed it? And how many times I have found faithfulness where I least expected it? Hope in others is vain, therefore, but the salvation of the just, O God, is in You. Blessed be You, O Lord my God, in all things which happen to us. We are weak and unstable, we are quickly deceived and quite changed.

Did you hear the one about..

2. Is there any disciple who can keep so alert as not to encounter some snare of entanglement?
But those who trust in You, O Lord, and seek You with a genuine heart, do not slip so easily. And if they fall into any tribulation, no matter how entangled he becomes, will quickly find deliverance through You, or by You shall be comforted, because You will not abandon those who trust in You to the end. A friend who remains faithful in all the distresses of his friend is a rarity. You, O Lord, You alone are most faithful in all things. No one else is like You.

3. Oh, how truly wise was that holy soul (St. Agatha) who said, “My mind is steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in Christ.” If it were this way with me, the fear of others would not so easily tempt me, nor the arrows of their words move me. Who is sufficient to foresee all things, or who can guard against ills that lie ahead? If even unforeseen things can sometimes hurt us, what can things which are not foreseen do, but seriously injure us?

But why have I not better provided for myself, miserable that I am? Why, too, did I pay such attention to others? But we are human, nor are we other than frail humans, even though many think we are angels; and even called angels. Whom shall I trust, O Lord? Whom shall I trust but You? You are the Truth, and do not deceive, nor can You be deceived. And on the other hand, every one of us is a liar (Ps 116:11;Rm 3:4), weak, unstable and frail, especially in his words, so that one ought scarcely ever to believe what seems to sound right on the face of it.

4. With wisdom You have warned us beforehand to beware of everyone, and that our foes may even be those of our own household, (Matt 10:17,36) and that we must not believe anyone if they say to us “Look here He is”, or “Look, there He is!” (Matt 24:23). I have been taught by my loss and O that I may prove more careful and less foolish in the future. “Be cautious,” says one: “be cautious, keep secret what I tell you.” And while I am silent and believe that it is hidden with me, that one himself cannot keep silence concerning it, but right away betrays me and himself, and goes his way! Protect me, O Lord, from such a mischief-making and reckless people; let me not fall into their hands, nor permit me ever do such things myself. Put true and honest words into my mouth, and remove a deceitful tongue far from me. What I would not suffer, I ought by all means to beware of doing myself.

5. Oh, how good and peaceful a thing it is to be silent concerning others, and not carelessly to believe all gossip, nor to repeat these further. How good it is also to lay one’s self open to a few, to seek always to have You as the beholder of my heart; not to be carried about with every wind of words, but to desire that all things inward and outward be done according to the good pleasure of Your will! The preserving of heavenly grace requires us to fly from human approval, and not to long after the things which seem to win admiration abroad, but to follow with all earnestness those things which bring amendment of life and heavenly fervor! How many have been injured by their virtue being made known and too heavily praised. How truly grace has been preserved in silence in this frail life, which, as we are told, is all temptation and warfare.