Catechumens: Throughout the scriptures, we learn to be gentle in our speech with others, to season our speech with grace, to be reverent of that which is worthy of reverence, wherever we find it, and to avoid speaking ill of that which is not helped by our condemnation. Christ did not condemn the woman taken in adultery, but spoke with Grace. The Apostle warned us of speaking flippantly – without gravity – of angels, reviling the bodiless powers. You have heard me many times also say to you that we should offer piety in our speech, not casually throwing around the word “Jesus” or “Mary” as we would “dude” or “bud”, and to take such pains with our prayers, also, following the example of the Holy Fathers, indeed of Christ. Particularly grievous is flippancy when speaking of clergy, as likewise I’ve already advised you – even calling a priest “Jimmy” or ‘that guy’ instead of Fr. James teaches our minds an inappropriate (lack of) piety. Let us always avoid the temptation to speak too casually of those who are responsible for our salvation; the next step toward the pit, after that, is to speak against them, and then to denounce them. Let us not even set out into such darkness. – Catechetical Letter 2/1/2006
Let your speech be alway[s] with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.— St. Paul the Apostle