It’s been a while since I wrote about St. Zita, the patron of housekeeping and homemakers. I have decided to revisit her, and to re-immerse myself int he wisdom of her life. For easy accesss, follow the link to what I have written so far:
Reflections on the life of Saint Zita
This where I got up to last time:
She used often to say to others that devotion is false if slothful. Hearing a man-servant speak one immodest word, she was filled with horror, and procured him to be immediately discharged from the family. With David, she desired to see it composed only of such whose approved piety might draw down a benediction of God upon the whole house and be a security to the master for their fidelity and good example.
From: St. Zita
…and I found this passage quite tough! It seems that her behaviour is rather harsh and overly pious. Is it appropriate for us to emulate it? Perhaps not in the same way, but there are still some lessons to be learned, especially if we have children, about our use of words.
The behaviour of a household declares to others whether or not it is godly or ungodly. If we wish to set an example to others, then our words and actions need to display our faith. Our walk should match our talk. This can mean not tolerating foul language from our children, and looking to our every word and deed to ensure that we aren’t letting the side down ourselves. It is so easy to let either an immodest or an ukind word fall from our lips, for we know that the tongue, though small, can do great damage. But are we not wanred by Jesus that we will be judged by every word that comes from our mouths:
But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment…
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every thoughtless word they have uttered…
Matthew 12:36
These are sobering words indeed. In fact, if I think of standing before God while He sifts through the millions of words which I have uttered in a lifetime, it is enough to make me blush and hang my head in shame sat here at my computer. What kind of legacy am I leaving? I have had cause recently to examine my use of words, and realised just how much I fall short of God’s ideal. I am guilty of murmuring and complaining about my situation, of saying unkind words about other people including members of my family, and of just generally being a very negative bod! Not good…
Knowing that God is listening to every word I say, and will judge me by them, should be sobering enough to nip such things in the bud, but sometimes we become blind to ourselves and our own shortcomings. I am so glad that realisation has come slowly, and not because something disastrous has happened as a result of my foolish attitudes and behaviour. It is never to late to re-evaluate our speech, and to make the necessary adjustments, and to allow God complete control over what I say. This of course begins with the heart, for it is out of the heart that our words proceed. If we have a heart full of love for others, then our words will follow. I have been in need of heart surgery, and allowing God to weild the surgeons knife has been (and still is!) painful, but it is worth surrendering to. There is no other, easy shortcut to holiness.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer ~ Psalm 19:14
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone ~ Colossians 4:6
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,
but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil ~ Proverbs 15:28
Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips ~
Psalm 141:3
keep your tongue from evil and
your lips from speaking lies ~ Psalm 34:13

Morning by Edvard Munch
May these words be our prayer each morning as we start our day!