Gossip 101

Humanity is quite an interesting beast if you ask me. It is the only beast that has cognitive ability of reason. All other animals do not have what we are blessed to be endowed with by God. However, this blessing was darkened with the sin of Adam and while original sin was wiped away with Baptism, we are still prone to concupiscence and sin. Gossip is something that was not present in the Garden and is not present in Heaven, however, in the world and especially the United States, it is what "truth" is made out of, perceptions eternalized and harm done. I found when gossiping, it might be a joke about a friend, or what i saw at the mall or some tidbit i heard somewhere. Even these small amounts of gossip can ruin a person without us even knowing it. While we are all guilty of gossip, including me, it is something that we must work on and overcome. We will fall and fail. However, we must get back up, try to repair the damage and ask God for his love and mercy. Every person has a right to integrity. No one has a right to tear anothers integrity apart. When we tear integrity apart, we will never know the full extent of the damage. THUS STOP GOSSIPING AND GO TO THE SOURCE!

I found several ways of dealing with Gossip that are holy and healthy.
1. When I hear it, I tell the person to stop and explain themselves.
2. I will go to the source and ask, is this true?
3. Pray for those affected by Gossip, for I do not know the extent of the damage done.
4. Pray for those who constantly gossip, that they will realize what they are doing.
5. Pray for myself, that I would catch myself before I say something that will hurt my neighbor or my relationship with God.
May God grant us all the ability of self reflection and humility for the sake of our own salvation and the prevention of damage to others.