The rule of St. Benedict for a daily life, learning to listen to God with a discerning heart.

I'm Chris McGregor.

The 11th degree of humility, episode 26.

With the 11th degree of humility, St. Benedict stays with speech, but goes further now.

The question is no longer only whether a person speaks too much. The question is how he speaks

when he does speak. This degree is about tone, measure, restraint.

Humility begins to show itself in speech that is calm, simple, and free of display.

From Chapter 7 of the Rule of St. Benedict.

The 11th degree of humility is that when a monk speaks, he does so gently and without laughter, humbly and with seriousness, speaking few and sensible words.

St. Benedict knows that words can be true and still be badly delivered.

A person can say the right thing in the wrong spirit.

He can speak accurately, but with sharpness, vanity, or a need to dominate the moment.

This degree is meant to purify not only speech itself, but the manner of it.

That is why tone matters. A harsh tone can stir up resistance

before the words are even heard. A mocking tone can belittle. A careless tone can make light of

something that should be treated seriously. St. Benedict is teaching a way of speaking that

serves peace instead of disturbing it.

Gentleness here does not mean weakness. It doesn't mean a person is unsure, timid, or afraid to speak clearly.

It means he's no longer driven by the need to push himself forward. He can speak plainly without force

and truthfully without turning speech into a performance.

St. Benedict also speaks of seriousness

and that can sound heavier than he means it to sound.

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