Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 In Ecclesiasticus chapter 28 verse 22 inspired in the word of God. We read that many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not so many as have perished by their own tongue. In the year 1271 a daughter was born to King Pedro, the third of Aragon and Queen Constansa. They named her Isabelle after a great aunt single Elizabeth of Hungary. Due time, Isabelle was married to Denise, this king of Portugal, which is now we know why we now know her as Saint Isabelle or Saint Elizabeth, the Portugal for his conversion as a result of the prayers and examples of his saintly way. King Denise was quite the worldly man. He's a gifted musician and poet. A seven of his love songs are still being played. I was, in fact, I was listening to them was I wrote this. Besides that, much of his poetry is still available. Here's the stanza from one of his poems that paints a pretty clear picture of what his major problem was. The king quote, I don't know how to justify myself to my lady. Should God lead me to stand before her eyes. One second before she will judge me. Her betrayer and with plenty of reason
Speaker 1 01:20 close quo.
Speaker 0 01:22 The long and short of it is besides the two children, San Isabel boardroom king Denise, Saturday at least seven other children, son one chronicler says nine by other women. All that. By way of background, a better appreciate an incident from Santa Isabel's life that took place shortly before the kings conversion. San Isabel was accustomed to rely on a very pious and faithful page to distribute arms for in time. Another page drew envious of him and in his envy he suggested to the king that the queen showed or remarkable fondness for that page. The king took the vicious into annual at face value and decided that the innocent page should be quietly put to death. He gave the order to Lyme burner. Now in case someone here doesn't know what a line burner is. Back in olden days, aligned burner was a man that made quick line, quick line.
Speaker 0 02:21 It's used for a lot of different things. For example, for whitewash, for mortar in the way it's produced line burner. Had a furnace that's called a lime kiln and you'd pile up layers of coal and limestone and you get it all fired up, gets 900 a thousand degrees and that limestone burns and that's where you get quick line. That's where could climb comes from anyway, and the king decided to quietly execute the innocent paid, so you ordered aligned burner that if on a certain day he sent a page to ask him where the king's commands had been fulfilled, the line burner should take that page and cast him into Limekiln for that particular page was justly deserving of and the king of decided that this was indeed a fitting way for him to die. When the appointed day arrived, King Denise sent a page off to deliver the message, the lime film on the way there, he was passing a church when he heard the bells ring for the elevation, so he stopped and went in and began praying.
Speaker 0 03:19 The St Isabelle's biographer notes quote fro was his pious custom. If every heard the sign given by the bell for the elevation always to go there, there and not be parked too. Mass was ended close quote. He also made it a point to here mass every day and since he'd only been to part of a mass he, and since there were two masses scheduled to fall that mass, he decided to stay and hear both those masses. He really was a pious young man. In the meanwhile the key had grown impatient wondering if the page had been executed. So he decided to send the wicked page to the Limekiln to find out whether his commands had been obey the wicked patriot off to lime kiln. And when he arrived and asked the line burner, the question line burner naturally suppose that this page was the one from the king get cents to death.
Speaker 0 04:06 So he seized him through and forth with into the kiln and he's quickly incinerated. By this time the innocent page had finished hearing the second mass. So it went to lime, Kiln Nass for the kings commands had been fulfilled and the lion burner assured them that indeed they had been. So the innocent page brought that message back to the king. We understand and it was completely shocked when he saw that page enter jury's inquiries to the particulars of what had transpired. King Denise quickly came to realize the innocence in virtue of the page that he'd so unjustly condemn the malice of the wicked page, who by divine providence had been burnt to death at the same time, he also came to much deeper appreciation for the great virtue of Saint Isabelle, his queen, whom he had so unjustly judged. There are a lot of lessons that can be drawn from this true story.
Speaker 0 05:04 We'll start with the king. Besides his adulterous behavior, he's also guilty of this sin of rash judgement. What is rash judgement? St Thomas defines rest judgement quote when the reason lacks certainty as when a man without any solid motive forms a judgment on some doubtful or hidden matter, and it's called judgment by suspicion or rash judgment. Close quote. In other words, rash judgment occurs when a man judges that someone is guilty of evil and condemns him all without adequate grounds for the judgement. King gunnys actually was the highest judge in his kingdom and he unjustly condemned demand a death and innocent man without even bothering to investigate, without even bothering to look into the facts of the case. That's rash. The Great Theologian Reginald Garagiola grunge explains, quote, Ras judgment is not as simple, unfavorable impression. It is a judgment. It consists in affirming evil on a slight indication.
Speaker 0 06:12 If this judgement is fully deliberate and consented to in a serious matter that is judging one's neighbor, guilty of a mortal sin. The one who judges himself commits a mortal sin, consequently says Saint Thomas. If we cannot avoid certain suspicions, we should take care not to make a firm and definitive judgment on site indications. It is a sin against justice. Our neighbor has in fact a right to his reputation. Moreover, rash judgment is often false. How can we judge with certainty of the interior indications or intentions of a person who's doubts, errors, difficulties, temptations, good desires, repentance. We do not know. How can we judge justly when we do not know the details of a case. God alone is capable of judging with certainty. The secret intentions of hearts or those that are not sufficiently manifested. Close quote, Garrett Bula grunge. Obviously the sin of rash judgment is a sin against our neighbor, but it is also offense against God who expressly forbiddenness and as reserved to his son, the right to judge mankind.
Speaker 0 07:28 Our savior tells us, judge not, you shall not be judged. Condemn not. You should not be condemned. Now, there is a massive amount of phew, confusion about the so-called judgmentalism. So let's clear that up right now. When our Lord commands us that we judge not less, we be judged. He's not telling us that we need to sign off on every sin and vise as if it's just fine. What does he mean then? The great viewership, father and doctor, the church San Augustan explains the correct understanding of our Lord's words. By this, the son of God forbids all rash judgments. We don't know the interior of people's hearts. We don't know what they're guilty. We can see what they might be doing and not approve of it at all and we shouldn't a lot of the behavior, but we can't judge what's going on in us. We don't know what they know.
Speaker 0 08:17 We don't know what their motives are. We don't know what state that interior part of their soul is. The Carmelite author blessing Lucas of Saint Joseph points out what causes rash judgements. Quote. According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the tendency to judge one's neighbor proceeds from two causes. Either the person is evil minded and unconsciously judges others by his own evil dispositions or he harbors such envy, hatred or contempt for his neighbor that he experiences a secret delight and thinking evil of him and readily believes any misconception of his neighbor's actions. They should teach us to restrain our judgment of our neighbor because suspicious and unfavorable judgments, a revelation of infirmities of our own souls. Close quote, brass judgment proceeds from two causes. Either the person is evil minded and judges others by his own evil dispositions or he harbors such envy, contempt or hatred for his neighbor that experiences a secret delight in thinking evil of him and readily believes any misconception of his neighbor's actions.
Speaker 0 09:27 It's clear then why it was so easy for an adulterer like king Denise to readily believe these acute accusations against the page and the saintly wife simply because he was judging by his own evil dispositions. St Thomas has some very concrete advice here that we'd all do well to take quote. Unless we have evidence, indications of a person's wickedness, we ought to deem him good by interpreting for the best. Whatever is doubtful about him, it is better to air frequently through thinking well of a wicked man than to err less frequently through having an evil opinion of a good man. Close quote. Saint Bernard gives some practical advice here. Excuse the intention. If you cannot excuse the deed and attributed it to ignorance or surprise or that happens by chance. Close. Cool. Excuse the intention. If you cannot excuse the deed and attribute it to ignorance, surprise or chance.
Speaker 0 10:30 Saint Bernard continues that. If the fault is so evident and so criminal, there's just no way we can excuse it. Then we should ask ourselves this question quote, if I'd been set upon with the same temptation and got it permitted, the devil to have the same power to tempt me, what might not have happened to me? Close quote, the most terrifying aspect of rash judgement is pointed out by Father John Kylie quote, the most deadly effect of Ras judgment is that it exposed the center to be condemned without mercy at the Tribune. All of God, most deadly effect of rash judgement is that it exposes the sinner to be kin down without mercy, the tribunal of God and rashly contending your brother. You have furnished to the Lord the matter of your own condemnation. Matthew Chapter Seven verse two with what Judgment You judge, you shall be judged with what measure you meet. It should be measured to you again with what? Tranquility. We should appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. If at the hour of death we could say that we never judged or condemn anyone without reason. Close quote. The most deadly effect of rash judgement is it exposed the center to be condemned without mercy as a tribunal of God.
Speaker 0 12:00 Let's close this section with the saintly example taken from the chronicles of St Francis one day, God granted brother Leo, a vision of a great company of Franciscans, all glittering with light and splendor. There was one far more brilliant than the rest was such a brilliant razor light. How many forth from his eyes that brother Leo was enabled to look at them. He asked who that person was and was told that it was blessed to Bernard Quinn of all the first companion of Saint Francis and its delight, which darted from his eyes, proceeded from the good interpretation he gave to whatsoever he saw on his neighbor and also because he believed all the world better than himself. When he met the poor, I'll cover with rags and patches. He would say to himself, these people observe poverty far better than I and thus judge kindly of them as if their poverty had been his voluntary as his own. When he sell wealthy persons clad rich garments, he said in his heart, perhaps they perform greater pennants as modifications than I do. Perhaps they wear a hair shirt underneath their rich closes and s secretly chastise their flesh and they clothed themselves in this matter in order that is to be avoided being surprised as being glory, no matter what the situation, he always looked at the most pleasing sir and the innocence of his eyes deserve to have such a reward of glory bestowed upon them by God himself.
Speaker 0 13:26 That is how we ought to judge her neighbor. Now let's turn to the wicked page. Who started all this when he grew envious of the privileges San Isabel had given to the pies page. Quote, envy is the daughter of Pri. It desires the exploitation of self alone and when it fails, it hates and becomes hateful. For this reason, it takes unusual pleasure defending the honor of the neighbor and destroying the peace and happiness. He enjoys closed quote, bless it, Lucas. Envy is a capital sin. It's called a capital sin. Latins a. The Capo is Latin for the head. A capital city is considered the head of other sins because it leads to other sins. It gives rise to other sins. The other sins that have capital sin gives rise to a return to the daughters. Okay. It's daughter Saint Gregory. The great says the daughters of envy.
Speaker 0 14:22 The sins which arise from envy are hatred, tail bearing, backbiting, joy at our neighbors, misfortunes and grief for his prosperity. And that's exactly what we saw. The envy of the wicked page give rise to backbiting. What is back button? St Thomas Defines backbiting as quote, the blackening of a neighbor's reputation by means of secret, which causes his heres to have a bad opinion in the person against whom he speaks the backbite or injures the good name of his neighbor. Close quote, Father John Colly points out that a man may commit backbiting directly or indirectly. We'll consider four examples of the direct commission of backbiting. Number one, imputing things against the neighbor, which never happened. This is known as the sin of calumny and that's exactly what the wicked page did by making suggestive remarks about the pies page and saying Isabel to the king. Number two, exaggerating a fault, committed by another.
Speaker 0 15:37 Number three, revealing without a sufficient reason the real but secret faults. Have another wait a minute. Father, did you say is the sin of backbiting revealed the true but secret false of another? Yes. If there's not a sufficient reason, he has the right to his good name and as long as his fault or not known to the person to whom you're speaking and there's not a sufficient reason to reveal them, it is backbiting. Number four, putting a bad spin on the good deed of another, assigning a bad attention to a good d. Yes, he did do that good deed, but that was the only, so he'd be noticed. Yes, that was very pie of her, but she's a hypocrite. So only superficial. Now could quickly consider four examples of the indirect commission of backbiting. Number one, denying the good and others done. He didn't do that.
Speaker 0 16:38 Number two, lessening the good another's done. It wasn't that great. Number three, remaining silent when being bound to approve or confirm the praises. Do another, especially when question about him or when his neighbor is accused of some misdeed. Number four by praising the act of another so coldly that he diminishes the credit due to him that's commonly known as damning with faint praise. Okay, quick review. What have we seen? We've seen that black backbiting is the blackening of a neighbor's reputation by means of secret words, which causes the heres to have a bad opinion of the person against whom he sees the backed biter injures the good name of his neighbor. We've seen it backed by two may be committed directly or indirectly. We've seen four examples of direct backbiting. First in pity, things against the neighbor, which never happened. Also known as a sin of calming.
Speaker 0 17:30 Second, exaggerate in a fault, committed by another third, revealing without a sufficient reason the real but secret thoughts of another and forth, putting a bad spin on the good deed of another. We've seen four examples of indirect backbiting. First denying a good that the other's done. Second, lessening the good. Another is done. Third remaining silent when being bond, approve or confirm the praise is due to another, and that's third and fourth damning by faint praise praising the acts of another so coldly that the credit do is diminished. Saint Thomas points out the most seriously we can commit against our neighbor is murder, then comes adultery and then third place comes to traction. Detraction is worse than theft. Saint Thomas states quote, properly speaking, backbiting is a mortal sin. Close quote. It's also important to note as St Thomas makes clear quote, we must say that if one listens to backbiting without resisting it, he seems to consent to the backbiting in us becomes a cooperator in the sin close quote.
Speaker 0 18:42 In other words, the charity do to our neighbor demands that we must do everything morally possible to avoid backbiting. How do we do that? By showing displeasure, disappointment, disapproval, and if needs be even correcting the back biter, but there's even more the damage done by backbiting must be repaired. There's in fact more serious obligation to make restitution than in the case of possessing stolen goods. This good name of the person must be restore before the original listeners. How can this be done? One more or less sums up the general teaching the church. The back biter can make partial restitution by showing honor to the injured party. Speaking of friendly way to him, praising him in general and in particular and so forth. The back butter can attempt to dispel the bad opinions. Words have made by using such expressions as when I said that I spoke to her ugly. I spoke in anger when I said that I made that statement without thinking. I was just, see, I didn't know what I was saying when I made that remark about so-and-so. However, if what's was said was not true, if it was calumny the back Pitre must say that he lied.
Speaker 0 20:00 Father Kylie, reparation is very difficult on the part of him who is bound to make it. When a man steals, he can make restitution without letting his staff be known. But the case is different with him was to restore the reputation of another whom he has slandered his obligation, his personal. If what he is stated was false, he must show himself and his true character a lie, a slander. If what he spoke was true, he must show that he was an envious tale bearer. He must restore the honor of the other at the loss of his own. But is that easy? The proof that instead of being easy, it is very difficult, isn't it? Is Not done. Many people are guilty of backbiting, phew, make reparations for the injuries they have caused. Well lesson taught by saint field near it gives some idea of how very difficult reparation is.
Speaker 0 21:01 One day a woman came to see Saint Philip and accused herself of having, having been given to slander. Do you frequently fond this fall? He asks, yes. Father, very often my dear child, Saint Phillips said, your fault is great, but the mercy of God is greater for your pennants. Go to the nearest market and buy a freshly killed chicken. You'll then start walking and as you walk along, pluck the bird. Once you've finished returned to me, she went to the market, bought a chicken and set out walking and plucking the bird as she had been ordered to do in the short time. She returned anxious to tell the same of her exactness, fulfilling his directions and wondering what the explanation might be for such an unusual pennants us. It's Saint Philip. You've been very faithful to the first part of my orders now to the second part and you will be cured, retrace your steps and gathered her up one by one. All the feathers you have scattered, but father explained the poor women. That's impossible. I cast the feathers, Curtis, the on every side. The wind carried them in every direction. How can I recover them? It's exactly the same with your words of scan, like the feathers, which the wind is scattered. They've been laughed at in many directions by other people. Repeating your stories. Call them back now if you can.
Speaker 3 22:28 Okay.
Speaker 0 22:30 Reparation is very difficult. We can sum up the whole topic of backbiting by saying back buddy destroys three classes of people. Those who are guilty of it, those who listened to it, and those were slandered. Let's close with this story reported by Father Belay. Have two close friends. One of them had the terrible habit of backbiting when the back was stricken by a serious illness. His friend encouraged him but considered his salvation. Do penance for his sins, but it's like preaching to a rock. All right, then said, the friend. At least let us make a path, a pack that will endure beyond the grave. If you die before I do, you will appear to me within a month less. God opposes the idea and you will teach me the mysteries of the other life. Dine man promised he would do it. Evidently, God was not opposed because sometime after his death, the backbiters appeared to his friend who recognized him at once, was so terrified by his appearance that he was unable to speak a word. The terrifying apparitions spoken said at the very moment of my death, I was brought before the tribunal of the sovereign judge. My accusers were all the people I had injured by my tongue since I could neither deny nor excuse what they accused me of. The judge condemned me to eternal damnation.
Speaker 0 24:18 Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as have perished by their own tongue.
