From the Rule:
The ninth degree of humility is that a monk restrain his tongue and keep silence, not speaking until he is questioned. For the Scripture shows that “in much speaking there is no escape from sin” (Prov. 10:19) and that “the talkative man is not stable on the earth” (Ps. 140:11). (RSB 7, Part 13)
Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech.
From Praying with Saint Benedict
Restraint of speech is one of the signature disciplines of Benedictines. We all have something to say and we want our voice to be heard. However, out of humility, we must suppress the impulse to always be heard.
Why? First, restraint of speech is essential to attentive listening. I have often caught myself in conversations not really listening to what others are saying because I am thinking about what I am anxiously waiting to say next. Although we may think about the point we want to make, we often don’t give serious thought to its appropriateness and what it adds to the discussion.
And then there are the thoughtless words, the things we wish we could take back after we’ve said them. The Proverb states, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking,” or as Benedict puts it, “In much speaking there is no escape from sin.”
Prayer
Patient and loving God, give me the humility to be a thoughtful listener, realizing that my own speech isn’t the most important voice in the room. Help me also to realize the damage that thoughtless words can do. Amen.
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S. Isaacson, Praying with Saint Benedict. (New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2021), 108-9.
Improbable Benedictine 