Prayer for loose lips

There is a little prayer in my Latin Missal, said by the priest at the incensing of the altar, just before the washing of the hands. It is one of the most beautiful prayers, as it shows how holy the preparation of the altar and of the priest himself must be for the coming sacrifice.

Let my prayer, O, Lord, be directed as incense in Thy sight; the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. Set a watch , O Lord, before my mouth, and a door around my lips. May my heart not incline to evil words, to make excuses for sins.

Every time I read this prayer, I think the last two phrases, from Psalm 140, would make a good prayer to guard against the temptation to talk about others. I must commit them to memory and make it a habit to pray them at those times when I am tempted to say something I shouldn't about someone I find irritating!