The Power of Words
God reaches out to us at every moment of our existence, making contact with us in an ongoing variety of ways. One especially valuable divine communication is through words. God uses words to connect with creatures who are able to listen and respond. We are offered a message attuned to our world of time and space.
Scripture reveals the word of God to us and speaks about our Creator’s inner reality and dealings with human beings.We learn more about the kind of God we turn to in prayer and worship. Some of the mystery is unveiled even as its wonder deepens and deepens.
Both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures contain passages that address us throughout our lives, sometimes as a murmuring of the Holy Spirit and sometimes as an insistent plea to get our attention. The prophet Jeremiah declares, “When I found Your words, I devoured them. They became my joy and the happiness of my heart.” (Jer 15:16) Many centuries later, St. Therese of Lisieux wrote in a letter four months before her death in 1897, “I take up Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me. A single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons.”
God has also given us sacramental phrases — so effective that, as part of ritual action, they accomplish what they signify. Words spoken over bread and wine bring to pass the sacrament of the Eucharist. “This is my Body. This is my Blood.” Transforming action is accomplished through the awesome power of human utterance.
Then we have the ordinary conversation of men and women — our parents, spouses, siblings, children, relatives, friends, and teachers. Their speech can be an avenue of help and inspiration. In fact, words have so much force that we learn to treat them carefully.Words do not always convey comfort. Some have power to serve evil. Outbursts of anger, hatred, and violence (“I detest you.I’d like to kill you.”) and humiliating or discouraging comments . (“You’re worth nothing. You’ll never be any good.”) are statements that destroy hope. Like Job, we ant to reply, “How long will you torment me, and break e in pieces with words?” (Job 19:2) We cover our ears to lock out the assault of noise we can’t bear to hear.
Sentences may embody deceit and spite. They can seduce and tempt.“Let’s just try it. No one will ever know.” This is a betrayal of words which desire to be, in their own distinct way, earthly manifestations of the Divine Word who became human. “I will watch my ways so as not to sin with my tongue. I will set a curb on my mouth.” (Ps 39:2)
Words often want to convey help and inspiration. The testimonies of saintly men and women are that kind of exchange. Sometimes their writings are meant to teach; other times they are simple ponderings of how God is at work in earthly living. The letters and memoirs of holy people are precious texts which enable us to look back over their lives and observe their response to God.
These communications take hold of our attention as if a voice from the past were saying to us: “I want you to listen to this because I have something to share with you.” St. Therese of Lisieux says in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, that “about to tell her story, (she) rejoices at having to publish the totally gratuitous gifts of Jesus.” The words of Therese, in the account of her life and in her correspondence, enlighten and strengthen us.
The French Carmelite nun says in the first chapter of her autobiography, “It is with great happiness I come to sing the mercies of the Lord with you.” When she penned that sentence, she was addressing her sister Pauline. But later, she knew God would use her writings for the benefit of many others. So now each one of us can be sure St. Therese is saying, “I come to sing the mercies of the Lord with you.” Her song is a canticle of praise for what God wants to accomplish in human lives.
Spiritual instruction can be nourishment for our hearts’ hunger. You have often heard it said, “You are what you eat.” That statement applies to physical food, of course. But the food you take into your mind is a diet that makes you become the person you are. Lots of junk food is available. Worse than that, there are plenty of tasty menus to poison the spirit. Today, words fly on the wings of the Internet. Too often dialogue in films and television or the lyrics of some popular songs entertain even while they impoverish us. In their swift access to ur attention, they have power. Words can build up or estroy.We choose what to feed on.
The first epistle of Peter sends greetings to those living among foreigners in the dispersion and says, “You are newborn … you should be hungry for nothing but milk — the spiritual honesty which will help you to grow up to salvation — now that you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.” (1 Pet 2:2–3)
With our free will,we choose what we consume. Let us sing to God with the psalmist,“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Ps 119:103)
