Homily for the Third Sunday Evening of Great Lent (St. Sergius Mechev)

Homily for the Third Sunday Evening of Great Lent 

By Holy Hieromartyr Sergius Mechev

(Delivered in 1929)

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!

For one who repents, my dear ones, it is not fitting to judge or to engage in idle talk. One who repents should, as much as possible, be silent, in order to work out his salvation in repentance. But we are constantly speaking idly, constantly judging and re-judging others, constantly doing evil with our tongue. By this we bring harm both to ourselves, who speak evil, and to those who listen to our evil speaking. And the Holy Fathers point out that our tongue is a small member, yet it does great evil, setting on fire the course of life (cf. Jas. 3:6). How easily it arms one person against another. And our carelessness about our speech becomes an instrument of murder. Saint Anthony the Great says plainly: “He who receives a slanderer or a backbiter becomes a partner with a murderer.” You see, according to the words of the Holy Father, a slanderer and a murderer are one and the same. “Flee from the slanderer, whoever he may be, and do not be ashamed to flee from him.” “It is safer to live with a snake than with a slanderer,” say the Holy Fathers. And John of the Ladder forbids us to show respect to such people. “Never show respect to the one who speaks maliciously to you about his neighbor. By this you will heal both yourself and your neighbor.”

Prologue in Sermons: January 14

 

Against Idle Talk

January 14

(A Discourse on Sinners Buried in the Church)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Many Christians don't restrain their tongues and, without thought or caution, blurt out whatever comes into their heads. When they are told that this is wrong and that they will have to answer to God for their thoughtless words, they pay no attention and reply, "So what if we talk too much? We won't get into trouble for that; for words are like water."

Is that so?