On Idle Talk and Gossip - Abbess Thaisia

Our Lord said, "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment (Matt. 12:36)."
Abbess Thaisia, a spiritual daughter of St. John of Krodstadt, served as abbess of a convent in Leushino, Russia. Her autobiography and letters have served as an inspiration to countless souls and are as timely today as they were in pre-revolutionary Russia.
-READ the text here:
orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/idleta...
-BUY "Letters To A Beginner", a collection of letters from Abbess Thaisia to her nuns:
www.sainthermanmonastery.com/...
-READ Elder Joseph of Vatopedi's introduction to the greek edition of her autobiography:
pemptousia.com/2016/12/elder-...
-FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you:
orthodoxyinamerica.org/
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Abbess Thaisia writes:
On this subject I want to write you a few words about the harm arising from the idle talk and gossip so common among you. This is something you yourself don't even notice; you speak too much, without discerning whether it is necessary or unnecessary, profitable or harmful, provided only that something is spoken. It is as if you are afraid of silence, which in fact is a nun's first obligation, the chief condition of her success and the adornment of her whole life.
Deeply rooted in people is the love of idle talk, i.e., empty, unnecessary conversations, and it has become a beloved pastime among them. It seems we don't know and don't believe that idle talk is a sin, and a serious sin, which gives birth to a multitude of other sins: quarrels, conflicts, gossip, slander, condemnation, calumny, and the like.
One deeply thinking pastor, contemporary to us, writes the following on idle talk, among other things: "How heedlessly, how carelessly we use our words, Which should be highly valued as a great gift from God! But on the contrary, what do we least esteem, if not the spoken word? In what are we fickle, if not in the spoken word? What do we throw out every minute, as though it were dirt, if not the spoken word? O Christian! Value your words, be attentive to them!"
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Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!

[@Scottfraser250]

How I ironic... I came here because I wanted more fuel to judge someone who was engaging idle talk today... Guilty of the very sin I was trying to condem...

[@marcovsasa4195]

Sometimes,the person who we need to laugh at is ourself! Worry not,and stay away from this sin! Good luck! God help you!

[@TranslatedAssumption]

I just read this book while on retreat at Saint Gregory Palamas Monastery in Perrysville, Ohio. I recommend Abbess Thaisia to everyone even though she addresses females predominantly.

[@hawkeyenextgen7117]

This is more relevant today than ever, as more and more people seem to become entrapped by gossip and have pressured others to idle talk.
I too am a victim of gossip. Before I became Orthodox, I was Episcopal. At the time I was dating a Mormon girl. One of her friends, who loved to gossip about me, disapproved of our relationship and created a rumor that I was a sexual deviant, causing my gf to break up with me. This one lie all but destroyed my social life.
People seem to forget how one careless word can cause such backlash.

[@gabrielmaldonado1903]

Greetings from Colombia 🇨🇴
I'm happy to be Orthodox ☦️

[@AbrahamFramirez-hr5zu]

Greetings brothers ☦️
Χριστόσ Ανέστη

[@MateoGLopez]

Great episode thanks you

[@nicodemusserpico77]

Based on the title alone - SO MUCH FOR BEING ON SOCIALLIST MEDIA!

[@renafielding945]

All I can say is OUCH