St. Francis's Prayer for the Devout Life

St. Francis says that mockery is the worst kind of offense a man can be guilty of against his neighbor by words. Nothing is so contrary to charity or devotion as scorn and contempt for our neighbor, he writes. But lighthearted words spoken by one person to another with a modest levity and cheerfulness belong to the virtue called "utripalia" Father Gregory: What St. Francis has in mind here is like our manner of life; we often think of just like having a chat with another human being.