“In the time that mass communication spreads out infinitely in good and in evil, the use of the word should make us ask: we human beings do we serve  in written or spoken words to comunicate life and truth or on the contrary to propagate death and falsify the truth?” Excerpt from the book :“O Mistério da Palavra de Deus”, [The Mystery of the Word of God] Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa.

Confronting the profound questions I evaluate myself and I invite you to do the same. Which have been my words and what have they caused to the hearers themselves.

As I wrote a while back: Words have power, I remain thinking how much good we could do to use the correct words.

How many politicians in past elections, used pretty words, filled with promises…bringing the voters to believe in them and make a vote of confidence. But unfortunately today they corrupt their own words sinking into corruption.

How many family homes, vocations, businesses, great enterprises, beautiful friendships are destroyed from the poor use of words.

Raniero says that “The abuse of the word can transform a life into hell.”

How much do positive words generate life, encouragement, courage, the negative word creates hatred, desire for vengeance and even death. When we are faced with adverse situations and we do not have control, it is important to be silent, for one badly understood word can create a tempest in a teapot.

That in the long run our road can through our spoken or written words, transform the bad to the good, hatred to peace and sadness to joy…

The good being done begins in the good being said.

Adailton Batista

translated from Portuguese