Sacred Scripture on the Importance of Speech: “The Tongue is Fire”
“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3)
It’s true, they say, even if we guarded every other virtue, but let our words run wild, we would still undo ourselves.
There are several passages in Sacred Scripture across the Old and New Testament on the importance of good speech and using our tongues well. Yet, for some reason most of us pay such little attention to it, and underestimate its positive and negative effects, even though the words we speak really do matter.
The Lord himself warns us:
“I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36-37)
You see, to speak well is not a minor discipline. Our words are equally capable of building up the body of Christ and tearing it down. That’s why both St. Paul,
“Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)
and St. James write about speech in such vivid and striking terms:
“The tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:5-8)
Why the Rosary and the Tongue Belong Together
The Rosary is an important expression of human speech, and one that can sanctify how we speak. God has given us the capacity to communicate, to make our thoughts known and to bring about common action. In our fallenness, we often use this gift for selfish reasons and to the detriment of others.
Human speech is often impulsive, driven by immediate emotions like anger, pride, or anxiety. The Rosary acts as a vocal anchor against that impulsiveness. Praying it every day provides a moment to redirect our thoughts and words from ourselves to the praise of God and peace with others. Speaking the names of Jesus and Mary, decade after decade, is itself a training for the tongue: we cannot speak ill of others while our mouth is occupied with the exact language of Scripture. As St. Josemaria Escriva put it,
“Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys which purifies the monotony of your sins!”
True perfection of speech also includes knowing when not to speak. The vocal prayers of the Rosary are meant to lead us into mental prayer. The Rosary is a beautiful embodied prayer that places us beside the Mother of Our Lord at the foot of the Cross, contemplating the same mysteries of Christ’s life that she contemplated.
Month of the Rosary with Fr. Gregory Pine
The Church has dedicated the month of October to this powerful devotion. In 1571, Pope St. Pius V attributed the victory at the Battle of Lepanto to God’s providential response to the prayers of those who had invoked Our Lady through the Rosary. At Fatima in 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children before a large crowd, and the reported Miracle of the Sun became a striking sign of her message, confirming again that this simple devotion carries real power to change the course of history.
This October, Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., serves as our spiritual guide for Exodus 90’s Month of the Rosary. Drawing on his book Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech and reflecting on the Letter of James, Fr. Gregory will lead us through the specific ways speech goes wrong, and how grace redeems it.
Here’s the full list of the disciplines for the Month of the Rosary, designed to help you attain “verbal virtue” and grow closer to the Blessed Mother, your family, and your fraternity:
- Listen to Daily Scripture & Reflection
- 20 Minutes of Silent Prayer
- Pray a Daily Rosary
- Pray a Fraternity Rosary (1x per Week)
- No Meat Fridays
- Cold Shower Fridays
- Celebrate the Lord’s Day
- Regular Fraternity Meeting
In an age of ragebait culture and careless words, Exodus 90’s Month of the Rosary program invites men to grow in holy speech that builds up rather than tears down, and prayer that reorders the heart behind it.
Join Exodus 90 this October as Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. leads us through the Letter of James and the Mysteries of the Rosary, so our words might become instruments of communion.
Start by downloading the Exodus 90 app!
