Day 279: False Oaths (2150-2155)

• It’s Day 279!! 

• TAKING THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN

• We will look at how the Second Commandment forbids false oaths

• Perjury cna be an abuse of God’s name or taking the Lord’s name in vain

• We can even make oaths that we an invoke the Lord’s name when we intend to tell the truth

• BUT…

• We are NEVER obliged to take the Lord’s name in vain

• When someone says, “I said the name of God without meaning it…”

• That is what IN VAIN means 

• It is also calling upon the Lord’s name and not intending to follow through with whatever I promise

• Let’s pray!!

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we ask you to please send your Holy Spirit. Send your Holy Spirit into our lives and into the lives of those we love. Lord God, may your name always be glorified in our speech. May your name always be glorified in our actions. May everything that we say and everything that we do reveal you as you are, and not serve to obscure your goodness, not serve to obscure your holiness, not serve to obscure who you are. Help every word we speak, help every action that we choose, to accomplish or act in this world, in this life, in this day before your glory and for the salvation and sanctification of all of our brothers and sisters. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”

• So there we have it!!

• There are some times when taking the Lord’s name in vain is simply taking the Lord’s name without meaning it, without respect for the sacredness, holiness, and sanctity of the divine name

• BUT…

• There are also other ways of taking the Lord’s name in vain

• Like taking the name of the Lord with no intention of following through on my oath or promise

• Paragraph 2051 says, “The second commandment forbids false oaths. Taking an oath or swearing is to take God as witness to what one affirms. It is to invoke the divine truthfulness as a pledge of one’s own truthfulness. An oath engages the Lord’s name. ‘You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve him, and swear by his name.’”

• It is not saying, “So help me God”

• It is saying, “God is the God of all truthfulness. Therefore, when I invoke His name, I am taking that as an approval, as a pledge, as a promise of my truthfulness.”

• We have a complete duty as Christians to reject false oaths

• God is Truth itself

• Our speech is either in accord with that truth or in opposition to that truth

• Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s story about his students…

• TRUTH IS WHAT IS

• That is it

• Truth is simply what it is

• So a statement is either true or false to the degree that it conforms to what is reality

• So if God Himself is Truth, everything we say is either in conformity to God or in opposition to God

• All of our words have to be in line with God, who is Truth

• That is why false oaths are so deadly

• We call upon God to witness a lie

• That is what a false oath is

• Paragraph 2152 says, “A person commits perjury when he makes a promise under oath with no intention of keeping it, or when after promising on oath he does not keep it. Perjury is a grave lack of respect for the Lord of all speech. Pledging oneself by oath to commit an evil deed is contrary to the holiness of the divine name.”

• Think of revenge movies where someone says they will take revenge so help them God

• This is contrary to the holiness of the divine name

• Paragraph 2153 says, “In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained the second commandment: ‘You have heard that it was said to the men of old, “You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.” But I say to you, do not swear at all…Let what you say be simply “Yes” or “No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’ Jesus teaches that every oath involves a reference to God and that God’s presence and his truth must be honored in all speech. Discretion in calling upon God is allied with a respectful awareness of his presence, which all our assertions either witness to or mock.”

• St. Paul talks about the fact that there are good and right reasons for making an oath

• IN FACT…

• St. Paul himself makes an oath in 2 Corinthians 1:23 and Galatians 1:20

• So is it a complete and absolute exclusion of ever making an oath?

• No

• Paragraph 2155 says, “The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters, nor take an oath which on the basis of the circumstances could be interpreted as approval of an authority unjustly requiring it. When an oath is required by illegitimate civil authorities, it may be refused. It must be refused when it is required for purposes contrary to the dignity of persons or to ecclesial communion.”

• Fr. Mike is going to tell us the story of St. Thomas More so gather ‘round the ol’ campfire, kids!!...

• We all know the story of St. Thomas More, who refused to acquiesce to Henry VIII, right?

• So that is the seriousness of taking an oath that we do not mean

• We, as Catholics, have to be very very clear about to whom we belong

• Do we belong to the LORD, or do we belong to the government or choice of political party??? 🤯 🤯 🤯

• If whatever that thing is stands against human dignity and against ecclesial communion, we must NEVER take an oath like that

• We must REFUSE to take an oath like that

• Why?

• Not only for truth’s sake

• But for the One who IS the Truth’s sake

• That is one of the reasons we have to be on guard of how we speak

• In particular when we call upon the Lord to witness an action or declaration

• We have to be absolutely clear and never ever take a false oath

• Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!

• Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!

• I cannot WAIT to see you in a number of days!!