June 13
Actions speak louder than words
he man who is
filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different
languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility,
poverty, patience and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal
in ourselves these virtues to others. Actions speak louder than words;
let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty
of actions, and therefore are cursed by the Lord, since he himself cursed
the fig tree when he found not fruit but only leaves.
We should speak, then, as the Holy Spirit gives us the gift of speech.
Our humble and sincere request to the Spirit for ourselves should be that
we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfillment, insofar as he infuses
us with his grace, by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by
keeping the commandments. Likewise we should request that we may be filled
with a keen sense of sorrow and with fiery tongues for confessing the faith,
so that our deserved reward may be to stand in the blazing splendor of
the saints and to look upon the triune God.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman
