Words we speak every day

By Kim Ae-ran

The other day, when I tried to apply spiritual exercises during the parish book fair, one priest suggested making a program that can be a guide to help people speak well, more in a positive way.

He was mindful of lingering words spoken in a negative and critical way. In many ways, the negative way of speaking gives us deep influence both in the conscious and in the unconscious.

Since then, I have been interested in good passages regarding words and expressions.

While reading “Like a Petal,” the recent collection of poems and poetry letters written by Sr. Lee Hae-in celebrating the 54th anniversary of the first profession this year, I pondered on some passages on the use of the words.

Among the poems in “Like a Petal,” “The words we speak every day” inspired me:

May the words we speak every day leave a fragrant afterglow with fragrant words, not with disgusting smells. May all our words become flowers of joy and songs of peace in the hearts of our neighbors so that the world becomes a little brighter. Let us speak pure words with a pure heart that does not spread gossip and false rumors that will not help anyone. Let me speak words of love with a heart of love that understands before me the other person's point of view. Help me to say positive things with a positive mind that sees the good things first rather than the bad things of others. Help us refine our language with the clear water of wisdom drawn from the fountains of silence and prayer, just as we cultivate a single orchid by watering it with all sincerity every day.

Let the mellow fragrance of humility permeate into it.

Sr. Lee Hae-in was born in Yanggu County, Gangwon Province, in 1945 and entered the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters of Busan at the age of 20. She chose her religious name, Claudia, with her ardent longing to live like white clouds and like the broadminded and merciful heart of the sea.

While fighting cancer, she lives each moment as if it is the last moment. In the following poem entitled, “How trees love,” we can see that the best ways to convey a positive response are silence, listening and endurance.

How trees love

I keep wanting to lean closer to one another, but we need to keep our distance so we can see well. When I am good at silence, I come up with something to say. Listening, listening to others is the way of love. Waiting in silence is the discovery of wisdom. The completion of the prayer is to endure and endure without crying easily even when I am sick or sad. There are times when it is difficult to stay centered throughout the four seasons, but I still live a happy life thanks to the roots that descend deep into the ground as time goes by, the stems that extend to the sky, and the leaves that dance in the wind. Please watch me with love as I give and receive love.

Thank you always.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication.