“O Lord, grant me right words to speak, that I may proclaim what is true, and wisdom to know when to be silent, that I may not speak what is false. Let my tongue be a servant of your truth, and my lips instruments of peace.”
—attributed to Alcuin of York (c. 735–804), 8th Century
Source: Alcuin of York, Prayer for Right Speech, in Alcuin: His Life and Letters, trans. Stephen Allott (York: William Sessions, 1974), 112.
Reflective Question: In what ways does this prayer challenge our modern assumptions about the value of constant expression, and how might it reshape our understanding of when silence is the most faithful form of communication?