The eight commandment of God-Part 1

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"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor"

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26)

Jesus' promise to send the Advocate was fulfilled on the feast of Pentecost, because then the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, and that day the Holy Church celebrates as its birthday, as confirmed by the Acts of the Apostles: "When the day of Pentecost had finally come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And tongues like fire appeared to them, and they were divided, and one came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).

How great and wondrous were the graces which the Holy Spirit poured out upon the apostles at his coming. He enlightened them so that they could understand the Lord's teaching, which until then had been very obscure to them, with complete clarity. He strengthened them so that they could overcome all the obstacles that stood in their way in proclaiming the Holy Gospel. He sanctified them and made them lay aside their errors and imperfections and, as such, love God above all things and everything in God.

The Holy Spirit still shares the same graces today with us who do not hinder his work. He enlightens us to know what serves our salvation and strengthens us with supernatural power so that we can fight the good fight and overcome the enemies of our salvation. In the holy sacraments, he cleanses and sanctifies us and pours the love of God into our hearts. According to the words of the apostle Paul, he comes into our hearts and remains there: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16).

We should be grateful to the Holy Spirit for these great graces and promise Him that we will use them for the purpose of our salvation. We should make a decision to conscientiously fulfill all of God's commandments, because this is a condition for the Holy Spirit to remain with us and to lead us to sanctification and bliss.

When we talk about the eighth commandment of God, it is necessary to say:

What does the eighth commandment of God command us?

What does the eighth commandment of God forbid us?

What does the eighth commandment of God command us?

The eighth commandment of God commands us:

To always tell the truth

To always care about honor and good name

Let us always watch our language.

To always tell the truth

Never lying means always telling the truth, or whoever guards against every lie tells the truth!

When God forbids all lies in the eighth commandment, he commands us to always speak the truth. To fulfill this commandment, we must first be encouraged by the thought that God is eternal truth, whose words are truth itself and who never lies.

Therefore, if our purpose and strictest duty is to strive for the greatest possible similarity with God, then we should strive to be like Him in truthfulness, because truthfulness is the only quality by which we can come closest to God. Even if we strive to be like God in wisdom, goodness, and holiness, we will never be as close to Him in these qualities as we would like, because due to our human weakness and with the best of intentions, we often fall into sin.

However, it is different with our love of truth, because if we have a firm will to always speak the truth, then with God's help we will be able to fulfill that will and we will never lie, and thus we will come closest to God. Therefore, this coming closer to God is a great incentive to always speak the truth in life.

To make this decision even stronger, that is, to always speak the truth, we should constantly think about the fact that God hates lies to the same extent and as much as He loves the truth, which is confirmed by the Holy Scripture: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are His delight" (Proverbs 12:22).

And the words of Sirach also show how much God hates lies: "A lie is a detestable blemish on a man, and it is always in the mouth of the ignorant. Better is a thief than a liar, and both will inherit ruin. Lying is a shameful custom, and the liar's shame remains with him forever" (Sir 20:24-26).

And, it is no wonder that God is so opposed to lies when he is the truth itself, and Satan is by his entire being a liar and the father of lies. It follows that a liar commits a sin that is, on the one hand, against God, and on the other hand, that sin unites him with Satan and works together with him. That is why Saint Ambrose teaches and warns us: "Beware of lying, for all who love lies are children of the Devil and oppose the God of truth."

How much God hates lies is evident from the punishment with which He punishes them. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that God punished Ananias and Sapphira very severely, namely with death, for lying. On the contrary, people who love the truth are most pleasing to God and He gives them all kinds of graces, as is evident from the example of Nathanael, for as soon as Jesus saw this disciple, He immediately expressed His love for him, saying: "Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit" (John 1:47).

Likewise, God loves everyone who is honest and who always speaks the truth, and only such a person can have the sweet hope of one day entering the eternal bliss and joy of Heaven. This great happiness is promised and assured to us by the Psalmist when he says: "O Lord, who may abide in your tent, and who may reside on your holy mountain? Only he who walks blamelessly, who does what is right, and speaks the truth from his heart, and does not slander with his tongue." (Ps 15:1-3).

Truthfulness pleases both God and people. A man who is known to be honest and to always tell the truth has a reputation in the community, is respected by everyone, and is welcome in all situations. On the contrary, a liar is hated, despised, and avoided by all who know him.

Throughout human history, people have appreciated and approved of the value of truthfulness. Therefore, if every person wants to gain the respect, trust, and love of his fellowmen, he should be honest and always speak the truth, because just as a magnet attracts iron, so truthfulness attracts the hearts of people. Truthfulness also gains consideration and forgiveness for those who make mistakes, because when they admit their guilt, people look at them differently and treat them more kindly and gently. Therefore, the apostle Paul clearly warns us: "Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each of you with your neighbor." (Ephesians 4:25).

Of course, it may happen that duty and prudence oblige us to keep quiet about the truth and not tell it, but we must never lie. We must never lie, and if sometimes a lie suddenly slips through our fingers, we are immediately obliged to correct it and admit that we have made a mistake. We should repent and confess and impose on ourselves an appropriate penance as a punishment for the sin committed so that in the future we will not sin like that again. By doing so, we will gain respect among people and shorten our possible and deserved punishments.

To care about honor and good name

This concern of ours extends to both the honor of our neighbor and our own personal honor!

We are obliged to care more for the honor and good name of our neighbor than for his other earthly goods, because honor is worth more than money and all other material goods. Above all, we must never say or do anything without a valid reason that would unjustly injure the honor and good name of our neighbor. This is a strict duty for every person, because just as no one is allowed to unjustly take another's property, it is also forbidden to unjustly harm another's good name. Therefore, we are obliged to guard against gossip, slander, reproach, and mockery, because all these actions more or less damage the honor and good name of our neighbor.

However, all of this is not enough, because the eighth commandment requires that, if we can do so without great difficulty, we stand up for our neighbor when someone unjustly harms and takes away his good reputation.

The same is true of our neighbor's other earthly goods. If we damage someone's property by theft, fraud, or other unjust means, we are obligated, out of holy Christian love, to remove that damage, if possible. Therefore, love commands us to remove everything that could harm our neighbor's good reputation.

In the history of the Holy Church, God-fearing believers have always performed this duty and not only strictly guarded against gossip, but they also refused to listen to such speeches, thus protecting the good reputation of their neighbor. Following their example, we today should also protect the honor and good name of our neighbor. If we find ourselves in a society where gossip is being spread and if the gossiper is our equal or subordinate in office, we should admonish him and try to weaken the evil and bad impression that his speech has made on those present as much as possible. We must especially not allow gossip about spiritual and secular leaders and we should stand up for them and defend them, because if leaders unjustly and without good reason lose their good reputation, then they will not be able to carry out their duties for the benefit of their subordinates.

Furthermore, we should guard the secrets that are entrusted to us, because we are forced to do so by the natural law that forbids us from doing anything unpleasant or unjust to our neighbor. We are also obliged to keep secrets by our words, by which we have sworn to keep the secrets that are entrusted to us to ourselves. Of course, we must not reveal those secrets that were not entrusted to us but that we learned about by chance if this would harm the honor of our neighbor.

However, there are still cases when it is permissible to reveal a secret. This can be done when the one who entrusted the secret allows it to be fully revealed. In that case, he is not wronged because it is not done against his will.

It is also permissible to reveal a secret even if it has become known in some other way. When more than one person knows about a secret, it is no longer a secret and we are not obliged to remain silent about it.

Finally, it is permissible to reveal a secret even if its concealment would cause great harm to the Holy Church, the state, or an individual. Of course, in that case the secret must be revealed, because everyone should, if possible, protect their neighbor from harm.

The same applies to secrets in letters, because by the law of nature and by popular law and law no one may open another's letter. If it were permitted to open and read another's letters, great disorder would arise in human society and all written communication would have to cease. Another's letter is permitted to be opened only when private or public harm can be prevented by doing so. For this reason, parents and heads of their children's or their families' letters may read them if they have reasonable suspicion that they contain something forbidden or something contrary to good morals or morality.

Furthermore, the eighth commandment commands us to take care of our honor and good reputation if the honor of God, the good of our neighbor, or the duty of our class so require.
If we have the right and duty to take care of money and the necessary goods of life, then we have an even greater duty to take care of our honor and good reputation, because honor and good reputation are worth more than all other earthly goods. That is why the wise Sirach says: "Take care of your name, for it lasts longer than thousands of great gold deposits. A happy life lasts for a certain number of days, but an honorable name lasts forever." (Sir 41:12-13).

We should especially care for our good reputation if the honor of God requires it, because the honor of God often depends on personal honor, that is, on the good opinion that others have of us. For example, let us take a Christian priest, what will he be able to do for the honor of God if he has lost his honor among his subjects? Little or almost nothing, because even if he were to conscientiously perform his priestly duties, he would have little success because everyone is against him and despises him.

The same can be said about parents and leaders who have lost their honor. Therefore, no one can work for the glory of God if they themselves do not have their own honor.

From what has been said, it is clear that consideration for the honor of God compels us to care for our own honor. If for this reason we work for our honor, we do not do it for ourselves but for God, and we have Him alone before our eyes, since we consider our honor as a means of spreading the honor of God. That is why the Lord clearly admonishes us: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your works of love and glory in your Father who is in heaven." (Mt 5:16).

Another reason why we should care for our honor is that we should set a good example for our neighbor and lead him to piety and the fear of God. As such, we should conduct ourselves according to the words of the apostle Paul: "Therefore, let us pursue what makes for peace and mutual edification" (Rom. 14:19).

We should be most careful not to become a stumbling block to our neighbor, for the Lord clearly warns and threatens with these words: "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks!" (Mt 18:6).

From what has been said it is clear that he who has no honor exposes himself completely to the danger of becoming a cause of scandal. He who has no honor is considered evil even though he is good, because as such he sets a bad example for his neighbor. And a bad example is a scandal for people, because a man is inclined to not consider the evil he sees in another or hears about him, especially in a leader, as such an evil, and little by little he comes to do the same evil, consoling himself with the thought that it is not such an evil when this or that person does it. It is certain and quite clear that loss of honor or bad thinking causes a scandal to his neighbor.

On the contrary, it is also certain that honor and good reputation serve as a good example and edification for one's neighbor. A virtuous man is considered honest by his neighbor, has a good opinion of him, and his virtue pleases him and wants to imitate it. It is precisely because a virtuous life can greatly attract one's neighbor and be a good example for him that the apostle Paul says and teaches: "Be diligent in doing good in the sight of all men!" (Rom. 12:17).

Furthermore, class duties also require us to care for our honor!

It is known that honor gains trust, and trust is the foundation of prosperity. A man, no matter what his class, if he enjoys a good reputation in the world will prosper well. If he is a merchant, his store will be full, if he is a craftsman, he will have plenty of work, if he is a worker, he will never lack work.

However, it is completely different with the one who has lost his honor. No matter how diligent and capable he may be, he will never advance. It is even worse for the one who has lost his honor, and belongs to a class that must guide others and care for their eternal salvation. No one wants to be taught, admonished, or reprimanded by a man who has a bad reputation, because his decrees are despised and his good teachings are rejected. A parent can give his children the most beautiful teachings, pray, admonish, and punish them, but all this will be of little use if his behavior is such that he has lost his honor in their eyes.
The same applies to all leaders, whether they belong to the spiritual or secular class, because if they have lost their good reputation, then their hands are largely tied. Their admonitions, punishments, and their good examples are like seeds that fall on barren soil. Therefore, parents and leaders should care about their good reputation and their honor, because the better the opinion of them, the more they can benefit their subjects, the more their advice is listened to, the better impression they leave, the more effective their good example, that is, the better they can perform their current and professional duties. That is why the apostle Paul admonishes his disciple Timothy: "Let no one despise you because you are young. Rather, be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these duties, for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you!" (1 Tim 4:12-16).

Every man should know that true honor is based only on virtue. Saint Bernard teaches that virtue is the mother of glory and that it alone is worthy of honor. He who in all circumstances of his life does what is right and good gains the favor of God and every honest man. Therefore, every man should strive to live honestly and virtuously, avoiding every shadow of evil, because only in this way will he have honor before God and men.

However, honor should not be his ultimate goal. He should live honestly in order to preserve and increase his honor, but that honor should not be the main reason for his honest life, because that would then be ambition. He should know that ambition was the great sin of the Pharisees, who did good only so that people would see them and respect, honor, and appreciate them as such. He should also know that honor should be cared for only and to the extent that it is necessary for the honor of God, for a good example to his neighbor, and for fulfilling the duties of his life's position, so as not to fall into the trap of ambition and other sins. If his honor is attacked, he is allowed to defend it, especially if the honor of God and the good of his neighbor require it.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave a beautiful example of how we should defend our honor, as can be seen from the Gospel: "I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor my Father, and you despise me" (John 8:49).

Likewise, the Lord defended Himself when the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons with the help of Beelzebub, which He confirms with the words: "If I cast out demons by the help of Beelzebub, by whose help do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the help of the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Mt 12:27-28).

These examples of the Lord teach us that our defense should be calm and that we must never exceed the limits of moderation. We can give all the reasons that speak for our innocence and use all the means given to us by divine and human law to save our honor, but this must be without passion, bitterness and hatred, because we have this commandment of the Lord: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who spitefully use you!" (Luke 6:27-28).

If neither God's honor nor the benefit of our neighbor suffers because of the violation of our honor, then it is best that, following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles, and the Saints, we do not even respond to mockery and slander, because by patiently enduring them and remaining silent, God's honor is often spread more than by the most brilliant justification.

It is good to suffer and remain silent even if we have no means with which to defend ourselves and save our honor. In that case, we should surrender ourselves to the Lord, trust in him and persevere in patience, because sooner or later our innocence will come to light and we will regain our lost honor. And, if this does not happen, then we should console ourselves with the reward that, according to this promise of the Lord, certainly awaits us in Heaven: "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me! Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven!" (Mt 5:11-12).

Let us always watch our language.

Almost all sins against the eighth commandment are committed, or rather, are committed with the tongue!

False testimony in and out of court, lies, gossip, slander, accusations, false judgments are nothing but sins of the tongue. If we want to protect ourselves from these sins that have caused such misfortune in the world that so many people are cursed because of them, then we need to carefully guard our tongue.
A person who does not guard his tongue very often sins against the eighth commandment and burdens his conscience with countless sins. That is why God commands us to guard our tongue in the eighth commandment. The question arises, what are we obliged to do in order to fulfill this commandment?

The first thing we need to do is to carefully guard ourselves against thoughtlessness and rashness in speech, because thoughtlessness is the mother of many sins. If we are not careful in our speech, then in confession we need to confess the many sins of the tongue that we have committed and that harm our eternal salvation. That is why it is written in the Book of Proverbs: "He who guards his mouth guards his life, but he who speaks rashly brings ruin on his own head" (Proverbs 13:3).

These wise words instruct us to always be careful with our language, that is, to always think carefully before speaking whether what we say is good and just. When speaking, we should act in the same way as people who receive and give money. Just as they first examine the money to make sure it is genuine, so we should also think carefully before speaking and see if we can say it with a completely clear conscience. Only then will we not regret what we have said if we are very careful with our speech.

The second thing we need to do is to often reflect on the Lord's words: "I tell you that on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. Your words will justify you, and your words will condemn you." (Mt 12:36-37).

According to Saint Jerome, a useless word is one that brings no benefit to either the speaker or the listener. And Saint Thomas Aquinas emphasizes that useless words are those that do not relate to some rational good.

A man who does not intend to achieve anything useful in his speech speaks useless words. If one must answer before God for words that contain no evil and that do not offend truth, love, and justice, how much more responsibility will there be for words that contain evil, then the question arises, what fate awaits the one who has committed the sin of lying, gossip, slander, incitement, and cursing?
The consideration that he will be held accountable before God for every unnecessary word, as well as the understanding of the value of silence, compelled the holy and blessed members of the Holy Catholic Church to carefully avoid sinful words and to speak as little as possible in everyday life.

We too are obliged to behave in this way, and if we are tempted to lie or gossip, we should immediately remember that we must not do so and that we will one day have to give a strict account for it. Also, if we find ourselves in a society that forces us to say something that is contrary to the love of God, we should remember that one day we will stand before God and answer for every word we speak. Therefore, we should speak as little as possible, that is, only what is necessary and good. A person who keeps his tongue in check and does not sin in his words shows great skill and wisdom.

The third thing we are obliged to do is to guard our hearts from ambition, hatred, the desire for revenge, and other evil passions. It is known that if a spring is closed, a stream dries up, if a root is cut off, a tree dries up, and if a foundation is destroyed, a building collapses. Likewise, evil speech will disappear if the heart is cleansed of all disorderly passions, for from them come all sins of the tongue.

Are not ambition and avarice the cause of many lies, and hatred and the desire for revenge the cause of gossip and slander, and self-love and envy the terrible evils of incitement?
Indeed, while these passions are still in the heart, there will also be evil speech, as the Lord confirms: "How can you speak good things when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks!" (Mt 12:34).

A man who overcomes the disorderly passions of his heart can also control his tongue and never use it for evil purposes, for just as only sweet water comes from a sweet spring, so only good speech comes from a good heart. All the pious and virtuous believers in the history of the Holy Church serve as proof of this.

A man who tries not to let any evil inclinations into his heart very rarely makes a mistake with his tongue. Everything he says he tries to be true, he despises all gossip and no evil word comes out of his mouth. In order to protect his tongue from evil speech he knows that in his heart all disorderly passions must be suppressed and destroyed. He knows in particular that he must make a decision never to speak in the first fire of excitement, but to remain silent until the excitement has subsided and calmed down. If he behaves in this way he knows that he will save himself from many words for which he would later often and bitterly regret.

We should remember these three rules well and practice them. This means that we should never speak thoughtlessly, but we are obliged to think a few moments before speaking whether what we want to say is right and good, constantly having before our eyes the words of the Lord in which He warns us that we will give a strict account for every useless word spoken. We should overcome every sinful passion, especially ambition, envy, hatred and every desire for revenge. In our efforts to keep our tongue in check, we should always have before our eyes the words of the Psalm: "I will guard my way so that I do not sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth." (Ps 39:2).

Only a happy man will be able to boast that he has never lied, that he has never slandered anyone, and that he has kept himself from all useless chatter. As such, he will live peacefully and contentedly, he will die blessedly, and the words of the apostle Peter will be fully fulfilled in him: "Whoever truly wants to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit" (1 Pet 3:10).

What does the eighth commandment of God forbid us?

First of all, the eighth commandment forbids us to speak what is not true, and especially forbids us to bear false witness in court. A man who bears false witness in court, either for the benefit or harm of another, is not only guilty of lying, but also sins against justice, for he presents what is not right as right, and completely distorts what is right. In doing so, he induces the judge to acquit the guilty and to condemn the innocent.

As a false witness, a person cannot receive forgiveness of sins until he has, if possible, made amends for the wrong he has done to his neighbor. If he confirms his false testimony with an oath, he commits the crime of perjury. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Holy Scriptures include false testimony among the sins that God especially hates and that they call false witnesses the children of the devil. Therefore, as a summoned witness in court, we should speak the truth regardless of whether it will harm or benefit us or others. We should remember that for every word we utter in court, we will have to give a strict account and that our soul and happiness will perish if we come before the judgment seat of God as a false witness.

The eighth commandment includes the following sins: lying, hypocrisy, gossip, slander, incitement, reproach, false or false suspicion, false or false judgment, and in general all sins that harm the honor and good name of one's neighbor.

About lies

When talking about lies, it is necessary to say:

A lie occurs when we knowingly and intentionally tell a lie, i.e. a lie is a consciously stated falsehood or deception.

Lying is a harmful sin because it harms the individual, the entire human race, and the liar himself.

A lie occurs when we knowingly and intentionally tell a lie, i.e. a lie is a consciously stated falsehood or deception.

We knowingly speak a lie when we consciously know that what we are saying is an untruth or a lie. If we say something that is wrong and we consciously believe it to be the truth even though we are speaking a lie, as such we are not lying because we are not speaking that untruth with knowledge. We deliberately speak a lie if we have the will and intention to present the lie as the truth and thus deceive others.

So, we are liars when we knowingly and intentionally tell a lie, or when we have the intention to consciously deceive others and lead them to believe the lie to be the truth.
A lie can be: out of a joke, out of necessity, out of favor, and out of malicious intent.

When we lie to pass the time and entertain others, we are lying as a joke.

When we try to do someone a favor by lying, we are lying out of favor.

When we try to get out of a predicament by lying, we lie out of necessity.

When we harm our neighbor in soul or temporal good with our lies, then we lie out of harm.

As far as sinfulness is concerned, a lie that harms one's neighbor is always a grave sin if the harm caused is great. Lies told in jest, out of favor, and out of necessity are by nature only venial sins, but they can also be grave, depending on the harm and the circumstances. Whether a lie is a grave or venial sin, we are always obliged to avoid and hate it because it is in itself very shameful and also very harmful in its consequences.

Here on earth, all people are commanded to be as similar as possible to their God and Creator, which the Lord Jesus Christ confirms with the words: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

God is eternal truth, knows no lies and is the enemy of every lie, which Balaam confirms in his song: "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he spoken, and not done it? Has he promised, and not fulfilled it?" (Numbers 23:19).

Since we are obliged to strive to be as similar to God as possible, we are obliged to adopt his best characteristic or characteristic, that is, his truthfulness.
The Lord's admonition: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," also contains the duty to love the truth as God loves it and never abandon it. God would cease to be God if He abandoned the truth, and therefore He never allows man, as His image and likeness, to be defiled by lies.

As is well known, God forbids murder, and yet there are cases when it is permitted. Also, legitimate authority has the right to punish criminals with death, and in righteous self-defense, murder is also permitted.
Likewise, God forbids hard work on Sundays and holidays, but there are still cases when hard work is permitted, such as when an act of love is shown to a sick person or when a person is forced to remove harm from himself or his neighbor. God has commanded obedience to children and those subject to him, but if parents and rulers command something that is sinful, then the duty of obedience ceases.

It is similar with other commandments that cease to be binding under certain conditions. But it is completely different with lies, and God cannot allow them under any circumstances, because they are always evil and oppose His truthfulness. By lying, man becomes like the Devil, because he is the spirit and father of lies.
The Devil already ruined Adam and Eve with his lies when he persuaded them to eat of the forbidden fruit, telling them that they would not die but would be like gods. And he continues this deceitful game from century to century and will not stop until the end of the world.

Therefore, a man who lies destroys the image of God within himself and becomes equal to the Devil, and the true words of the Lord can be applied to him: "You are of your father the Devil, and you want to do the desires of your father" (John 8:44).

That is why man's greatest shame is when he chooses the Devil as his role model instead of God and becomes like him.

Lying is a disgrace in itself and is completely against God's law. If we look at the New and Old Testaments, we will find many places where lying is designated as a hateful sin, as confirmed by the words: "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are His delight." (Proverbs 12:22),

"A lie is a disgusting stain on a man, and it is always in the mouth of ignorant people. Better is a thief than a liar, and both will inherit ruin. Lying is a shameful custom, and the liar's shame remains with him forever." (Sir 20:24-26).

The Lord calls liars children of the Devil and commands his disciples to always speak the truth: "Let your speech be yes, yes; no, no. Anything more than these comes from the evil one" (Mt 5:37).

And the apostle Paul also warns: "Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members one of another" (Eph 4:25).

In the beginning of the Holy Church, the truth was worth more to the first Christians than this worldly life, and today many often tell various lies and forget that they will have to give a strict account for them before God.

Lying is a harmful sin, because it harms the individual, the entire human race, and the liar himself.

A lie causes great harm to a person because if he is lied to, he has a wrong judgment and thinks, acts and speaks differently than he should and therefore suffers greater or lesser harm. There are many such lies and they can be harmful to others even though they may seem insignificant at first glance.

Likewise, lying harms not only the individual but also the entire human race. If lying were permitted, all the bonds of human society would disappear and such disorder would arise that mutual life would be impossible.

Therefore, someone who lies not only undermines the good of individual individuals, but also undermines the good of entire families and communities, that is, destroys the foundations of human society.

Furthermore, a lying person harms himself the most!

Every person loves the one who is honest, open and who speaks the truth. Such a person is respected everywhere, they enjoy being in his company and they trust him completely. On the contrary, the one who lies is despised the most. Regardless of the fact that he sometimes tells the truth, a liar is still not believed, he is avoided and is despised by everyone. God also despises a liar and punishes him in time and eternity. Ananias and Sapphira serve as an example, who were punished with death for lying.

Liars stand in line with the greatest criminals, and if they do not repent and mend their ways by the end of their lives, their fate is in the terrible fires of Hell.

Of course, not every lie is a mortal sin, but just as every venial sin committed carelessly often leads to a mortal sin, so it is with lies, because under the shadow of lies every crime and sin flourishes and grows. Therefore, we should beware of lies, because even if they are insignificant, they are very shameful, especially in the mouth of someone who should be above all and in the first place the truth.
Although we must never lie, we are not always obliged to reveal the truth.

Lying is never permitted, and revealing the truth is only commanded when the honor of God, justice, and love require it. The good of faith, Christian prudence, and the good of oneself and one's neighbor sometimes make it a duty to conceal the truth, but only on condition that this is done without lying. That is why the early Christians were strictly silent about certain truths of faith so as not to be exposed to the ridicule of unbelievers. They also did not reveal the whereabouts of their Christian brothers so as not to be imprisoned and killed.

So, if someone asks about something that he has no right to know, then in a way he can be told not to ask what is not his right to know. In important cases, it is also permissible to use an expression that has more than one meaning. Thus, something can be omitted in speech so that the listener can understand the other meaning of the speech. That is why Abraham in Egypt, in order not to be killed, said of his wife Sarah that she was his sister. This was not a lie, but only a permissible expression and a way out of the situation, because Abraham only kept quiet about the fact that Sarah was his wife.
An expression that has more than one meaning consists in using a word or a way of speaking that allows for different meanings. We may use such ambiguous speech only if there is a very important reason for the truth not to be revealed. We must never speak ambiguously with the intention of misleading someone.

Therefore, in important cases it is permissible to arrange speech in such a way that our neighbor will take it in a completely different sense. God gave us speech, not so that we can conceal our thoughts and deceive our neighbor, but so that, according to our conscience and knowledge, we can reveal to our neighbor only what is necessary to know. Therefore, these words of the God-fearing and righteous Job should apply as a rule: "As long as my spirit is within me, and the breath of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, nor will any deceit come into my tongue." ( Job 27:3-4).

About hypocrisy

Just as we are obliged to guard against lies, we must also guard against hypocrisy, or pretense!

We sin by hypocrisy or pretense when we show ourselves to be better and more pious than we really are in order to deceive others.
Pretense or hypocrisy is a shameful sin in its causes and consequences. Every person's conscience tells us that sin is ugly and shameful, and therefore it is quite natural that even the greatest criminal tries to cover up his evil deeds. That is why the Lord says: "Everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." (John 3:20).

A person who tries to hide the evil he does so that the world does not see it is not a hypocrite and does not belong to those who pretend. Generally speaking, it is good for a person to hide his evil deeds, because if they are hidden, then he does not give offense to his neighbor and destruction does not befall anyone but the one who sins, that is, the sinner.

A hypocrite is not a person who does good things to be praised by others, because he seeks vanity or self-satisfaction and human glory. Such a person loses all supernatural merit for his good deeds because he has no good intentions.

A hypocrite is a person who carefully conceals his evil thoughts, his passions and sins, and always shows himself on the good side to deceive people and make them think that he is truly as he appears, that is, that he is honest and good. A hypocrite has no intention of being good but will do everything to appear to be so. His heart is corrupt and full of the desire for self-righteousness or vanity, for human honor, praise and glory, and he seeks self-interest by committing fraud and resembles, as the Lord says, whitewashed or painted tombs.

The Lord threatens hypocritical people with the words: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all kinds of corruption. So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28).

Just as graves are covered and decorated to hide their contents from people, so too does the hypocrite conceal his true thoughts and face. Such a man gives himself up in secret to all his passions, because he has no fear of God, and publicly does nothing evil and avoids the shadow of sin. Before people he appears pious, full of zeal for the honor of God, full of hatred for sin and does good deeds, especially those that are visible. He diligently attends public devotions and often receives the holy sacraments, observes the commandment of fasting, gives alms, gladly speaks about the faith and conducts himself in such a way that anyone who does not know him closely considers him a faithful servant of God.

So, a hypocrite is a person who is not truly pious but pretends to be so in order to deceive others. A hypocrite is a liar, because just as one who tells a lie to deceive his neighbor is a liar in word, so is one who pretends to be pious but is not in reality a liar in deed.

Hypocrisy is already sinful in itself and is worthy of every condemnation because it is a lie!

Just as lying is a grave or venial sin, hypocrisy is also a grave or venial sin, or its severity is determined by whether it is intended to achieve a lighter or heavier intention. Thus, Judas, who kissed the Lord to betray him, committed a grave sin because his hypocrisy extended to a great crime, or rather to the betrayal of the Lord. Regardless of whether hypocrisy is a grave or venial sin, it is always evil in itself, because it springs from evil causes. These evil causes are primarily vanity or self-importance and pride.

As virtue is respected and honored by all, so even a corrupt man cannot deny it his sympathy. To be truly virtuous is not easy, and to achieve this goal requires much struggle and self-denial. There are many who would gladly achieve the glory of virtue cheaply, and therefore they indulge in hypocrisy and appear virtuous when they are not. Such were the scribes and Pharisees, whose chief sin was pride. They prayed, fasted, gave alms, observed all ceremonies precisely, and showed all the signs of true piety, but they were not compelled to do so by the love of God, but by the glory and praise of men.

The second cause of hypocrisy is greed!

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