DRE, Ibadan Archdiocese

Faith Series, Episode 139

THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

WHAT ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS?

[CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PART THREE, LIFE IN CHRIST] – PART IV

 

The second Commandment – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain – Stresses the respect we must pay to God’s holy name. Yahweh revealed the awesome, divine name to Moses and the Chosen People. In doing so, Yahweh commanded that we honour His mysterious, holy name in both speech and in sacred affairs in order to praise, reverence, adore and glorify the Lord God. When we respect the divine name, we reverence the Mystery and the holy One behind the name. One way to exalt the Lord’s name is to witness to our belief in the one, true, holy God and to venerate the name of Jesus, our savior and His mother Mary and all the Saints.

                                                               

 

Q6. What does the second Commandment prohibit?

The second commandment prohibits any improper use of God’s name or that of Jesus, Mary or any Saint. For example, if we make a promise or take a sacred vow, then we should be faithful to our word. Not to do so is to misuse God’s name and make God out to be a liar. Likewise when we take an oath, that is when we swear on God as a witness that we are telling the truth, we must keep it. Breaking an oath both disrespects God and is a misuse of human speech which should always act in conformity to the truth, which is God.

To perjure oneself is to lie under oath. Perjury is a deliberate and deceptive taking of an oath with the intention not to keep it or, after taking it, failing to keep it. Oath-taking with the intent to commit evil seriously dishonours God’s holy name, calling God to witness a lie.

A most serious violation of the second commandment is Blasphemy, a sin that is intrinsically gravely sinful. Blasphemy involves internal and external words of hate, defiance, or reproach against God and God’s Son. Blasphemy can also extend to Christ’s Holy Church, the Saints and Sacred things. In addition, it is a form of blasphemy to invoke God’s name to hide a crime or to enslave, torture, or kill people. It can never be justified.

Cursing calls evil down on another. If we fully intend grave harm to befall a person, our sin would be serious.