Cursing and Christian Living, by David G Bonagura, Jr.

In rebuking the Pharisees for misunderstanding the heart of the Mosaic Law, our Lord issued a declaration, unprovoked by the immediate context, that reverberates today: “[T]he things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile.” (Matthew 15:18)

What is in the heart that our words manifest? Again, our Lord is quite direct: “[F]rom the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:19-20)

That is, a host of unholy, sinful desires – they are collectively called “concupiscence” – joust within us every waking moment, and through our impure words they percolate into the world. Unholy speech comes in many kinds: gossip, detraction, calumny, deceit, lying, cheating, complaining, berating, lamenting, cursing. Controlling our tongues can seem like a Sisyphean task, as even the New Testament acknowledges: “If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man.” (James 3:1) …

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