The second commandment of God
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not forgive anyone who takes his name in vain." (Exodus 20:7)
The second commandment of God is already contained in the first, because when in the first commandment God demands from us general and due respect, then He also wants us to express that respect to Him in words, that is, to guard our tongues from anything that could offend His holy name and honor.
The second commandment was given by God with the intention that we would remember its importance and not violate it, which so often happens when we are irresponsible and unwise. It contains everything that offends, or blasphemes, the holy name of God, which is:
Unworthy Pronouncing of God's Name
Swearing and blasphemy against God
Wrong oath
Breaking a vow
Unworthy Pronouncing of God's Name
The second commandment primarily prohibits the unworthy utterance of God's name. And, to understand all that this prohibition contains, we must know:
What is meant by God's name?
How can we sin by pronouncing the name of God unworthily?
What is meant by God's name?
By the name of God we must include all the names by which we call God!
First of all, the word God belongs here, because it is the name that we usually give to him, the highest being. This also includes all the names by which we call individual persons of the Holy Trinity, such as: God the Father, Son of God, Holy Spirit, Creator, Jesus Christ, Savior, Redeemer, Sanctifier, Comforter, Defender.
Furthermore, this includes all the attributes and perfections that God possesses, for example when it is said: Triune, Almighty, Eternal, Omniscient, Eternal Truth and Wisdom, Divine Providence.
Finally, this includes all the names given to God in the Holy Scriptures, such as: Yahweh, Lord, King of heaven and earth, Emmanuel.
We should have the greatest respect for all these names, because they denote God who is the greatest and most perfect being. We are obliged to always pronounce these names with the greatest respect, at the same time honoring God in an internal and external way, that is, with our heart, words, actions or deeds.
We are obliged to honor not only the name of God, but also everything that God holds sacred, that is, everything that comes from him and is in a special connection with him and in which his goodness and holiness are especially reflected. These include: the holy Church, the Holy Scriptures, the holy Christian faith, the holy sacraments, the holy liturgy, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints, angels, priests and other persons consecrated to God, churches and sacred vessels. All these persons and things, if they are consecrated to God, are blessed and are in an indissoluble connection with God and are therefore worthy of the greatest respect. A person who dares to offend them in his arrogance also offends God himself.
How can we sin by pronouncing the name of God unworthily?
By pronouncing God's name unworthily, we sin:
When we pronounce the name of God, the names of Saints, and the names of sacred things thoughtlessly
When we pronounce God's name unnecessarily or without a solid reason
When we pronounce God's name without reverence
When we lightly laugh at, mock, or ridicule the holy Christian faith, sacred objects, church customs, and ceremonies
When we pronounce the name of God, the names of Saints, and the names of sacred things thoughtlessly
A proud and imprudent person has the bad habit of pronouncing the names: God, Jesus, Creator, Lord, etc. very often, without even thinking about what he is saying. Such a person commits, if not a mortal, then certainly a venial sin, because by thoughtlessly pronouncing His holy name, he denies God the due respect.
God is an immensely holy and worshipable being, and He certainly does not like it when man shows such little respect for Him by uttering His holy name thoughtlessly. That is why He warns man very clearly: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not forgive anyone who takes His name in vain" (Exodus 20:7).
The same applies to the thoughtless pronouncing of the names of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints and holy things. If we utter these names completely thoughtless and without true piety, then we commit a venial sin, because as such we do not show due honor to those persons and things that God wants us to honor with dignity.
When we pronounce God's name unnecessarily or without a solid reason
When the name of God is pronounced unnecessarily or without a proper reason, it is a clear abuse and literally means to pronounce God's name in vain. A person who pronounces God's name in this way is certainly committing a venial sin, and the same is true when the names of holy or sacred things are pronounced without need or cause. The holier the names we pronounce and the more frivolously we do so, the greater the disrespect and at the same time the graver the sin.
To pronounce the name of God, the names of Saints or holy things in a right and permissible way, it should always be for the right reason, such as piety, awakening religious feelings in oneself or in others, instruction, and all other useful needs of life. It is wrong and sinful when in passion, or in fear, wonder, or anger, holy names and words are pronounced without the intention of calling upon, praising, and glorifying God. Therefore, it is wrong and sinful when in fear or wonder we utter only the words: Jesus, Mary, Joseph. However, if in need or danger we call upon these holy names for help, it is good and praiseworthy, because it happens out of trust in Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
We are obliged to remember the golden rule that says that we pronounce holy names and words only when we raise our hearts to God, when we arouse holy feelings, when we pray, when we teach others about religious matters, or when we have a pious conversation with them.
When we pronounce God's name without reverence
Since God's name is also God Himself, it follows that we should have the greatest respect for that name and are obligated to pronounce it with the greatest reverence.
Even pagans considered it their duty to speak about their gods with awe. Thus, the pagan Cicero writes: "A man may speak a little about the power of the gods with deep and holy fear and respect."
The Israelites had an even greater reverence for God and his holy name. They did not dare to pronounce the name of God at all, and only the High Priest had that right, and only once a year.
The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us and commands us in the prayer "Our Father" that God's name is holy and that we are obligated to hold it in great honor . The words "hallowed be thy name" from that prayer clearly contain the holiness of God's name.
The apostle Paul teaches us the same duty when he speaks of Jesus: "Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:9-10).
Therefore, it would not be right and good if, when praying, we pronounced the name of Jesus or other names of God carelessly, absent-mindedly, and without true devotion. In order to protect ourselves from this, the Holy Church has decreed that we are obliged to bow our heads when mentioning the name of Jesus. Thus, in the biographies of the Saints, we can read how they had the greatest respect for the name of God.
Therefore, we are obligated to have the greatest reverence for the name of God and to bow our heads in reverence when we pronounce it or when we hear someone else pronounce it. By this act, we show our due inner and outer respect for God.
When we lightly laugh at, mock, or ridicule the holy Christian faith, sacred objects, church customs, and ceremonies
We sin by pronouncing God's name unworthily when we laugh at, mock, or ridicule the holy Christian faith, sacred objects, customs, and ceremonies of the holy Church!
Everything that extends to the holy Christian faith is holy and honorable, and we must not make jokes about it. Just as we are hurt and suffer when someone makes fun of us or what belongs to us, so God, as the Lord of Heaven and earth, suffers when someone dares to make jokes about him or his holy faith. Such jokes are often a real blasphemy against God and are considered a grave sin. According to the holy Christian faith, they are very harmful, because in people's hearts they stifle reverence for everything that is holy and lead to heresy and unbelief.
In the 18th century, this weapon was used by the godless in France, who tried to make everything holy look ridiculous by writing and speaking. Unfortunately, they succeeded in banishing Christianity from France and replacing it with paganism. Therefore, the apostle Peter does not speak in vain when he says: "First of all, know this: in the end times there will come scoffers, walking according to their own lusts" (2 Pet 3:3).
How much the Lord hates and despises those who mock the holy Christian faith we see from the punishments with which He often punishes them in this world. Thus we have the example of a man in Westphalia who in a certain inn dared to mock the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. He sat at table with his companions and, taking bread and wine, pronounced the words of consecration over them and distributed them among his companions. At the moment when it was his turn to take the bread and wine, he was seized with nausea and, having lowered his head on the table, died in a few moments.
From this example it is clear that we must not joke with the holy faith, the Saints and holy things or speak about them in a vulgar manner, because by doing so we will offend God, and punishment will come to us, if not in this world, then certainly in the next. Therefore, we should always speak about the holy Orthodox faith and holy things with respect and not listen to those who mock the faith. We should distance ourselves and distance ourselves from people who mock the holy Orthodox Christian faith, and we are obliged to show them by word and deed that we respect and love the holy Orthodox faith as the greatest gift of Heaven.
Swearing and blasphemy against God
The second commandment of God forbids cursing and blasphemy. To answer the question of how we dishonor God's name with this sin, it is necessary to answer these three questions:
What is cursing and blasphemy against God?
How many types of swearing and blasphemy against God are there?
What is the sin of cursing and blaspheming God?
What is cursing and blasphemy against God?
Cursing and blasphemy refer to our contemptuous speech, or mocking words against God, his Holy Ones and sacred things!
Therefore, God is cursed and blasphemed by one who speaks contemptuous or mocking words against Him. This happens when we attribute to God what He is not and what, by His infinite perfection, He cannot be. Such speech is very mocking of God, because things are attributed to Him that are contrary to His goodness, holiness, and other perfections.
We also curse and blaspheme God when we diminish, take away, or doubt some of His perfections. Such speech is true cursing and blasphemy, because it denies or doubts God. This is how the Israelites blasphemed God in the wilderness when they asked, "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7).
In the same way, the king of Assyria blasphemed God, full of arrogance and pride, saying to the Israelites: "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you by saying, 'The Lord will deliver you.' Have the gods of the other nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Where are the gods of Samaria, that they should deliver Samaria out of my hand? Who among all the gods of those lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" (Isaiah 36:18-20).
Furthermore, we curse and blaspheme God when we demean His immeasurable majesty with contemptuous speech, as well as when we attribute to creatures what belongs to God.
The sin of cursing and blasphemy is committed not only when we speak mockingly against God, but also when we speak mockingly against His Saints. Saint Thomas Aquinas says this about this: "Just as God glorifies himself in His Saints when the works that He has produced in them are praised, so blasphemy against the Saints extends to God."
It is quite understandable that no ruler here on earth will be honored if someone insults his messenger. Likewise, we do not honor God when we do not honor his Saints worthily or when we subject them to insults. When we speak mockingly of the Blessed Virgin Mary or other Saints, we also commit the sin of cursing and blasphemy.
We also curse and blaspheme God when we curse holy things. When we curse the holy sacraments alone or together with other holy or unholy names, we are guilty of the sin of cursing and blasphemy. The Council of Trier on cursing and blasphemy states this: "Blasphemy is when the name of God or Christ, of his wounds, his passions, or his sacraments, is used in evil."
God can also be cursed and blasphemed with signs and gestures. We do this when we raise our hands to Heaven in anger, when we gnash our teeth at Heaven, when we spit on Saints or holy things, as the Israelites and soldiers of Jesus Christ spat, or when they knelt before him and greeted him as king.
Like any sin, cursing and blasphemy can be committed by thought when we deliberately and deliberately think about God or the Saints, which is not to their honor and which is to their shame. However, if these thoughts come to us involuntarily and as such we do not like them and we want to reject them completely, then they are not a sin.
How many types of swearing and blasphemy against God are there?
Three types of curses and blasphemies against God can be listed:
Heretical cursing and blasphemy
Cursing and blasphemy by cursing
Cursing and blasphemy by defamation
Heretical cursing and blasphemy
Heretical cursing and blasphemy is that which contains some error against faith. It is committed when something is attributed to God that which He is not or that which He does not do, as well as when something is taken from Him that He has or when something is given to a creature that which belongs only to God.
We sin by this sin when we claim: that God is the originator of sin, that the destruction of people comes from Him, that He is not omniscient, that He does not care about people, that the Devil rules the world, that man does not need the grace of God to be saved. Such heretical cursing and blasphemy is a double sin, namely a sin against the holy Christian faith and a sin against the reverence of God.
A believer who utters a heretical curse or blasphemy during confession must say whether or not he has agreed with the heresy. If he has agreed with the heresy, then he has committed the sin of heresy, and if he has not agreed, then he has not sinned by heresy, but he has sinned by denying the holy Christian faith.
Cursing and blasphemy by cursing
Cursing and blasphemy, by cursing God, is when something is desired of God, that is, when God, his Saints, holy things are invoked as a means of revenge, or when creatures, if they are works of God, are cursed.
A person who wishes that God did not exist, that he would die, that he would not be able to punish evil, or who is furious against God and wishes him evil or death, sins, that is, commits cursing and blasphemy by cursing God.
Likewise, a person who curses someone and says: "God killed you, the sacraments killed you, the blood of Christ killed you," is guilty of this sin because God makes man blessed, and the blood of Christ and the sacraments are not given to him for destruction but for salvation.
Therefore, a person who wants these holy things to work against them is reproaching God's purpose and cursing, blaspheming, and reviling Him. Likewise, one who curses people, animals, or anything else if they are the creatures, works, and decrees of God commits the sin of cursing and blasphemy, because contempt for what God has created, what He does, or decrees also applies to God Himself.
However, it is different with the so-called cursing of non-spiritual things done with good intentions. In this way, Job and Jeremiah cursed the day of their conception and birth, because on that day they received original sin, which is the source of all human misery. Likewise, it is not a sin if, seized by the living pain of repentance, we curse that day, that hour, that place, that occasion when we lost our innocence and sinned grievously, because in that case we do not curse what is from God or relates to Him, but what is from the Devil, that is, sin that is always worthy of contempt and cursing.
Cursing and blasphemy by defamation
Cursing and blasphemy are dishonoring when we mock and despise what belongs to God or what God does, or when we speak mockingly and contemptuously about God and the things of God. This is the sin committed by the Israelites who mockingly shouted these words to the Lord on the cross: "And those who passed by reviled him, wagging their heads and saying, 'Ah! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!' In the same way, the chief priests and the scribes mocked him, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself! This is the Messiah, the King of Israel! Let him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe!' And those who were crucified with him reviled him." (Mark 15:29-32).
This sin is often committed by a person who mocks the holy Orthodox faith, who ridicules God, his holy religious truths, ordinances and rites. And the person who in anger pronounces the name of God, the holy sacraments and other holy things such as the cross or Heaven, burdens his conscience with the sin of cursing and blasphemy by dishonoring God.
What is the sin of cursing and blasphemy against God?
The Fathers of the Holy Orthodox Church, as well as spiritual teachers, unanimously consider cursing and blasphemy to be the greatest of all sins, and like Saint Jerome, they say that all other sins are quite small when compared with these. The reason for this is the fact that with other sins God is only offended directly or to the extent that His holy Law is transgressed, while with this sin God Himself is attacked, that is, His holy person and honor are reviled. Just as the disease that takes hold of the heart, which is the source of life, is more dangerous, so is the sin that is greater which is not directed against creatures but against the Creator Himself.
A curser and blasphemer does not lay an ambush for a person's life like a robber, nor does he steal another's property like a thief, nor does he seek to satisfy his carnal passions like a fornicator, but he rises up against God and the Creator himself and is a greater sinner than a robber, thief, and fornicator.
Thus, Saint Bernard says and teaches that most sins come either from human weakness or from ignorance, and that cursing and blasphemy arise from the malice of the heart. With every sin, the sinner has some benefit, that is, the arrogant has a reputation before people, the miser has money, etc., while the swearer and blasphemer has no benefit at all, and therefore cursing and blasphemy are truly madness and a true devilish sin.
Just as a man who insults a ruler commits a greater crime than one who merely breaks one of the ruler's laws, so a man who curses and blasphemes God sins more than a man who does not sin directly against God but only breaks His Law. It is true that with this sin a man cannot truly dishonor God or harm Him, but as with every sin, the rule of will for action applies here too. Since a curser and blasphemer has the will to diminish God's honor, he acts as criminally as one who wants to commit murder but cannot carry out his intentions. This sin appears even greater when one sees and considers who it is that curses and blasphemes God. A man who is only dust and ashes and who is less in comparison with God than the last subject in comparison with his ruler is cursing and blaspheming God. It is a terrible sin, because a man who is such a powerless creature and a great nothing dares to curse and blaspheme his Lord and God before whom the Cherubim and Seraphim in Heaven tremble.
It has already been said that cursing and blasphemy are more serious sins than robbery, theft and fornication, and a curser and blasphemer is worse than an unclean spirit, or the Devil. The Devil certainly curses and blasphemes and curses God because he can never again attain salvation and eternal condemnation has already been pronounced against him without any appeal or comfort. On the contrary, while man is alive, he has not yet heard his condemnation and still has hope in God's mercy, and therefore when he curses and blasphemes his God and his Judge, he is worse than the Devil and every unreasonable animal. A curser and blasphemer is worse than a dog or any other animal, because a dog will not bite its master even if he beats him, while man, as a rational creature, curses and blasphemes God with the same lips with which he enjoys all of his gifts.
Every man is obliged to praise God for all the good things he has, and even more than other people a Christian should praise God, because by the immeasurable wealth of his mercy he has chosen him and introduced him into his holy Church, in which alone he can work for his salvation and be saved. A Orthodox is one to whom God gives countless proofs of his love, teaches him the way of truth through his holy word which he always commands him to preach, justifies him and sanctifies him in the holy sacraments, and even more so in holy communion he comes into his heart and makes him a partaker of his divine nature.
God constantly dwells in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and, full of love and friendship, calls the Catholic to come to Him so that in every need of soul and body he may find help and comfort in Him. Therefore, God can say these words to the Catholic with greater right than he once said to the Israelites: "What could I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done?" (Is 5:4).
Because of such evidence of God's love, when a Orthodox curses, blasphemes, and scolds God instead of praising, honoring, and glorifying Him, rebels against Him instead of thanking Him, is that not such an ugly and great sin, or rather a wickedness and crime that has no equal? That is why Saint Bernard is absolutely right when he says to blasphemers: "Devilish tongue, what can lead you to curse and blaspheme the one who created you, who redeemed you with the blood of his Son, and by his Holy Spirit consecrated you as an instrument of his life and his glory."
How grave and great a sin cursing and blasphemy are is even clearer when we see the scandal that arises from this sin. Every just and prudent believer can see that there is no sin that is so general and widespread as this sin. In cities and villages, in fields, meadows and roads, in palaces and beggars' huts and workshops, that is, in every place on earth, cursing and blasphemy against God are heard. Thus, in all social classes from the highest to the lowest and in every age of life, one can find a person who has this terrible habit. Now the question arises, where does it come from that this sin is so general? Does a person learn to curse and blaspheme against God on his own?
It is quite certain that no one comes to the point of using holy names and words for this purpose on their own. Man learns to curse and blaspheme from man, that is, one hears from another and imitates this evil. This sin is quickly learned, because it is pleasing to man's disorderly passion. Therefore, it can rightly be said that the curser and blasphemer commits the sin of scandal, because from him others also learn this sin. As such, he is the cause that others greatly offend God and are in mortal danger, that is, to eternal ruin. Because of this scandal, these words of the Lord apply to every curser and blasphemer: "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone turned by a donkey hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Mt 18:6).
The greatness of the sin of cursing and blasphemy is also seen from the punishment with which God punishes this sin. This punishment is clearly seen from this example found in Leviticus: "And the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the Israelites and quarreled with a man of Israel in the camp. And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed him. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. They put him in custody until the will of the Lord would be revealed to them. Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Bring the one who cursed out of the camp. Then all who heard him shall lay their hands on his head. Then the whole community shall stone him. After that you shall speak to the Israelites, saying, 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his iniquity; whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death; the whole community shall stone him.' "Whether a foreigner or a native-born person, whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death" (Lev 24:10-16).
The Holy Scriptures give examples of how God decreed the death penalty not only for the Israelites but also for the Gentiles if they cursed and blasphemed His holy name. When the Assyrian king Sennacherib, through his general, demanded the surrender of Jerusalem in blasphemous terms, God sent an angel who killed 185,000 people in the Assyrian camp, and Sennacherib was killed by his own sons after his return to Nineveh, as can be seen from these words of the Holy Scriptures: "Then the angel of the Lord went out and killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead bodies. Sennacherib broke camp and departed. He returned to Nineveh. One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nimroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword and fled to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place" (Isaiah 37:36-37).
Thus God punished blasphemers and blasphemers at all times. The church historian Baronius relates that in the year 494, an Arian heretic uttered the most terrible curses against the Holy Trinity in a bathhouse, so that those present who heard it were completely horrified. Shortly after this, the blasphemer suddenly became furious and began to tear his own body with his own nails until, with terrible howls and groans, he gave up his impious spirit.
From this example it is seen that God punishes cursers and blasphemers already here on earth, and therefore Sirach says: "For just as a slave under constant supervision does not remain without bruises, so whoever always swears and calls on the name of God will not escape sin. A man who swears much is full of wickedness, and the whip does not depart from his house." (Sir 23:10-11).
And if God does not punish the curser and blasphemer in this life, it is certain that punishment will befall him in eternity. This is evident from these words of Tobit: "Cursed are all those who hate you, blessed are those who love you forever" (Tobit 13:14).
In order to deter its believers from cursing and blasphemy, the Holy Church imposed very strict penance on cursers and blasphemers, because cursing and blasphemy are grave sins and an insult to God. It is quite certain that cursing and blasphemy are grave sins when they are used to insult the most worthy of worship, the loving Father and the greatest benefactor of man, that is, God Himself.
How could cursing and blasphemy not be grave sins when God Himself prescribes the death penalty for cursers and severely punishes them with it here on earth, and when it is considered the duty of spiritual and secular leaders to prohibit this type of grave sin under the threat of the most severe punishments?
Wrong oath
"And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' And he confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.'" (John 1:20)
From the above passage of the Gospel, it is clear that the High Council from Jerusalem sent a delegation of priests and laymen to John the Baptist to ask him who he was.
The Israelites knew from their prophetic books that the promised Savior, or Messiah, would come at that time. That is why many believed that John the Baptist was the Messiah who was to come. Many miracles had already occurred at his birth, and his years of penitential life in the desert, his baptisms in the Jordan River, and his sermons were something extraordinary, and that is why many thought that he was the Messiah, or Savior of the world.
If Saint John the Baptist had wanted to lie and say that he was the Messiah who was to come, many would have believed him and worshipped him as God's messenger. However, for him the truth was above all else, and therefore he did not lie, but readily admitted that he was not the Messiah. He only said these words about himself: "I said, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said" ( John 1:23).
His answer was completely truthful, for he was indeed the one whom the prophet Isaiah had already identified as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, that is, as the Lord's forerunner. He was the spiritual, not the physical Elijah whom the Israelites expected to come before the Messiah as his forerunner.
So, Saint John the Baptist spoke the truth and therefore should be a role model for us to always speak the truth and nothing but the truth in our lives. We must never allow ourselves to lie, whether out of necessity or in jest, because every lie opposes God's truthfulness and makes us similar to the Devil, who is a liar and the father of lies. Therefore, we are obliged to admire the love for the truth that Saint John the Baptist had!
"'When they had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, saying, 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Or what did you go out to see? A man in fine clothing? But men who wear fine clothing are in kings' palaces. So why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet, for John is the one about whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.' Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and violent people are seizing it." (Matthew 11:7-12)
A reed is a plant that every breeze sets in motion, that is, it sways as soon as even a small breeze touches it. However, Saint John the Baptist, or the forerunner of the Lord, was not like that. Severe trials befell him, but he endured them all and served the Lord with steadfast fidelity in his good and difficult days. He ended up in prison because, full of holy zeal, he stood before Herod and shouted to him: "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." (Mark 6:18).
These bold words of Saint John the Baptist earned the wrath of the king and even more the hatred of the impious Herodias, and they imprisoned him as one who had offended the royal majesty. The question arises, what does John do in this position? Will he be a reed shaken by the wind, or will he revoke his word and beg the king for forgiveness and thus approve his incest with Herodias?
No, in prison he remains true to his principles and does not waver in his decision for a single moment. After a certain time, by order of King Herod, and at the request of Herodias' daughter, the executioner entered the prison and beheaded him, and Saint John died as a martyr for justice and truth.
We are obliged to live by the example of the nobility and heroic fidelity of Saint John the Baptist if we want to be faithful to our God. We should be ashamed if we are fickle and unfaithful in our promises to God, or if we turn our backs on Him and offend Him with the gravest sins. We who are baptized and who, as such, are unfaithful to our promises made at holy baptism when we promised, or swore, to renounce Satan and all his works.
So, with our oath or promise, or vow, we honor or dishonor God depending on whether we make and keep it in the right or wrong way.
And, to get the clearest possible idea about keeping an oath or oath, it is necessary to answer these three questions:
What does it mean to swear?
Whoever swears falsely
What we need to know about perjury
What does it mean to swear?
To swear means to call upon the omniscient God as a witness that we are telling the truth or that we will keep a promise!
To better understand an oath, it is necessary to answer these three questions:
What do we do when we swear?
What is required to make a solemn oath?
How many types of oaths are there?
What do we do when we swear?
When we swear, or when we confirm something by oath or oath, we turn to God and call upon Him and ask Him to confirm, guarantee, and defend the truth of our speech.
A pious and righteous believer does not demand that God immediately or miraculously confirm the truth of his claim, because that would mean testing God, but rather he simply calls upon Him to confirm the truth of his claim when and how He wills, that is, in this world or the next, or on the Day of Judgment when everything will be revealed.
So, when we swear, we call upon God who is truth itself, who not only does not lie or deceive, but who cannot lie or deceive, make a mistake, or mislead another.
When we swear, we leave behind all human witnesses and testimonies and bring forward one witness against whom no one can object, whose testimony removes all insecurity, uncertainty, and doubt, and ends all justice and debate.
When we swear, we place God beside us as a human witness and say quite clearly: "My God, who is present here and listening, can testify that everything is as I say."
What is required to make a solemn oath?
The question arises, what is required to make a serious oath, or rather, what is necessary for that oath or oath to be completely valid?
For an oath to be fully valid, two things are necessary:
That we have the will, or rather the desire, to swear
That there are words or signs by which we call upon God as a witness
That we have the will, or rather the desire, to swear
When we have the will to swear, then we are obliged to be aware of the oath, that is, we need to know what we are doing when we swear. Whoever does something out of ignorance is not responsible for his act, provided that he is not guilty of his ignorance. Such an act is as if it had not been done before God, because ignorance takes away or nullifies free will, and without it it is not possible for the act done to be subject to judgment. This rule also applies to oaths. For this reason, children who do not yet have the use of reason cannot take an oath, and the same applies to adults who do not have reason.
So, an oath is valid when we have free will to take the oath, and there is no compulsion on us. Anything that forcibly influences our will, or that completely takes away our freedom, makes the act of taking the oath involuntary and as such is harmful and useless.
Thus, it can happen that we take an oath out of fear, and it is then invalid and considered as never having been taken. Here we should know that not all oaths that we take out of fear are invalid, because not all fear takes away our freedom of will. As long as we still know exactly what we want and we do it, our will is still free, regardless of the presence of great fear, and such an oath is valid.
Mistake can also make an oath invalid, because what we do in error is not voluntary and we would not do it if we were not in error. However, just as all ignorance and all fear, so too does not all mistake make an oath invalid.
Furthermore, for an oath to be valid, the intention to swear is also required. Whoever merely utters the words of an oath, as prescribed by the Holy Church or the state, but does not intend to swear as such, would not have sworn properly, and the utterance of such an oath would be nothing more than empty words.
So, the first requirement for an oath to be valid is that we must have the will to swear, a will that is not hindered by ignorance, fear, or delusion. Also, along with the right will, we must also have the intention to swear, because without the right intention, an oath is not fully valid.
That there are words or signs by which we call upon God as a witness
For an oath to be fully valid, it is also necessary that there are words or signs by which we invoke God as a witness!
All expressions by which we directly or indirectly invoke God as a witness, judge or lawyer are considered to be words of an oath.
Direct is when we invoke God by taking his holy name in the oath, and indirect is when we take the names of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saints as well as holy things in the oath.
We can also call upon God as a witness through signs, and we do this when we raise our gaze or hands to Heaven, as well as when we place our hands on the Gospel.
Not only with words and signs, but in an oath, we can also invoke God with our thoughts, that is, in our hearts, and all of which the Holy Spirit hears and sees.
How many types of oaths are there?
Regarding the subject of the oath, we can take an affirmative oath and an oath by which we promise something. According to the way we swear, there are judicial and extrajudicial oaths, as well as solemn and non-solemn, or simple, oaths.
An affirmative oath is when we call God as a witness that we are telling the truth, that is, that what we claim is truly as we claim it.
An oath of promise is when we promise to do or fail to do something.
The affirmative and the oath of promise only differ in that the affirmative oath concerns and relates to the present, while the oath of promise relates to the future.
Furthermore, a judicial oath is one that we take before a secular or spiritual court, and an extrajudicial oath is one that we take before private persons in ordinary life.
A solemn oath is one that we take during ceremonial ceremonies, while a non-ceremonial or simple oath is one that does not involve any ceremonies but is taken without any particular formalities.
Whoever swears falsely
Referring to these words of Jesus, some false teachers claimed that one should never swear, because every oath is a great evil: "But I say to you, Do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, Yes, yes; no, no. Whatever is more than these comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:34-37).
However, the Divine Savior here does not say that an oath is evil in itself, but only says that it should not be with us because it comes from evil, that is, from a lack of love. If everyone were as they should be, that is, if they were perfect, then an oath would be superfluous. However, since people are not perfect, that is, some are distrustful and unfaithful, and others are deceitful and dishonest, therefore an oath is permissible in important matters and of course completely necessary.
With an oath it is the same as with a lawsuit. There should be no lawsuits among us, and there would be none if everyone fulfilled the duty of justice and love. But since everyone does not do this, then these lawsuits come from evil because they arise from injustice and the lack of holy Christian love between people. As such, these lawsuits are not evil because they are necessary as a means to defend against injustice and obtain justice.
That swearing is not in itself evil and that Christ did not completely forbid it is evident from the fact that God himself often confirmed his promises and threats with an oath, as is evident from the words of Holy Scripture: "The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent" (Ps 110:4).
The apostles also swore an oath, as can be seen from the words of the apostle Paul: "God is my witness, how I long for you all with the love of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:8).
An oath taken in the right way is not only not evil, but is certainly a good and pious act, because through it we acknowledge God as omniscient, true, and just, and we worship Him.
After this, it is now necessary to answer the question when do we swear wrongly?
We swear sinfully:
When we swear to something we know is not true or something we doubt is true
When we swear unnecessarily or lead others to swear unnecessarily
When we promise by oath to do evil or to omit good
When we don't keep what we swore we could keep
When we swear to something we know is not true or something we doubt is true
We must never swear falsely and are always obliged to speak the truth. We are obliged to always speak, especially if we are witnesses in a spiritual or secular court, as we have seen or heard, that is, according to our knowledge and our conscience. We are obliged to swear justly and honestly, and to guard against all untruth, cunning, and deceit.
When we swear unnecessarily or lead others to swear unnecessarily
Likewise, we are never allowed to swear or take an oath unnecessarily, nor to force others to swear for trivial matters!
We must know that every false oath is a grave or mortal sin and that we should avoid it at all costs. From these words of the Holy Scripture it is clear that many people will perish forever because of false oaths: "Hear, my children, the instruction of the mouth: whoever holds to it will not go astray. The sinner is trapped by his own lips, and both the quarrelsome and the arrogant stumble over them. Do not accustom your mouth to oaths, and do not get used to pronouncing the name of the Holy One. For just as a slave under constant supervision does not remain without bruises, so whoever swears and calls on the name of God will not escape sin. A man who swears much is full of wickedness, and the whip does not depart from his house. If he sins, his sin remains; but if he does not pay attention, he sins doubly. If he swears falsely, it will not be forgiven him, and his house will be full of trouble." (Sir 23:7-11).
When we promise by oath to do evil or to omit good
It is a sin if we intend to do something evil or to fail to do something good that we should and can do. It is an even greater sin if we confirm that intention or one of our promises with an oath, because by doing so we would be causing great insult to God's name. In this way, we would not only offend God, but we would also call him to witness that we want to offend him, which is obviously a very great and grave sin. Oaths made in this way are completely worthless and should not be kept, because evil should never be done, even if we were to swear a thousand oaths.
When we don't keep what we swore we could keep
A promise made must always be kept, and he who swears an oath is even more obliged to keep it. Nothing in the world brings such shame to a man as breaking his promise.
Just as we want our neighbor to fulfill his promise to us, so we are obligated to fulfill our promises to our neighbor. That is why in the Gospel the Lord clearly teaches and says: "Whatever you want men to do to you, do so to them. This is the whole Law and the Prophets" (Mt 7:12).
What we need to know about perjury
First of all, we must know that perjury or perjury in court is one of the greatest sins: against God, against ourselves, and against the common good.
Perjury is a sin against God.
Perjury is our deliberate invocation of God so that God, with His omnipotence, will confirm our lie!
When we swear falsely, we sin very gravely against God, because we mock His omniscience, justice, and holiness. As such, we solemnly renounce God and call upon ourselves God's vengeance. The perjurer wants nothing to do with God, so he renounces Him and His graces and blessings, and calls upon himself God's curse.
Perjury is a sin against ourselves.
Every perjurer sins gravely against himself, because his wickedness brings him eternal damnation, or rather, it procures him temporal and eternal evil. That this is entirely true is evident from the Holy Scriptures, where the prophet Zechariah saw in a vision an unrolled scroll of a book in which it was written: "This is the curse that will go out over the whole land; from now on, everyone who steals will be driven out of it, and everyone who swears falsely will be driven out of it. I will bring it out," says the Lord of Hosts, "and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name, and it will dwell in the midst of his house and destroy it with its timbers and stones." (Zech 5:1-4).
We must know that this curse of the Lord is fulfilled in the history of all times and that such a punishment can be expected by every perjurer. It is quite certain that the one who has sworn falsely has no more happiness in his life, because God's blessing leaves him and his house is beset by every kind of trouble. If the just God spares him from his punishments in this world, then he will be punished very severely in the other world, that is, if he does not perform contrite penance during his life, eternal damnation awaits the perjurer.
Perjury is a sin against the common good.
A perjurer also sins against the common good, because as such he causes great harm. Such a man fearlessly usurps the property of others, destroys the good reputation of his neighbor, and places his life in great danger.
The apostle Paul says of perjurers: "Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is on their lips. Their mouth is full of slander and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery are in their ways; the way of peace they have not known; there is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:13-18).
Anyone who has sworn falsely is obliged to repair the damage he has caused, and if he does not do so, then his penance is worthless, that is, as such he does not achieve forgiveness of sin. Therefore, to avoid false oaths, and thus grave sin, we should always keep these words of God in mind: "If you swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth, justice, and righteousness, then the nations will be blessed in you and in you they will boast." (Jeremiah 4:2).
Breaking a vow
To explain how we dishonor God's name by not keeping our vows, it is necessary to answer these three questions:
What is a vow?
Does the vow please God?
Are we obligated to keep our vows?
What is a vow?
A vow is when we voluntarily make a promise to do something that pleases God, but which we are not otherwise obligated to do.
It is important to know about a vow:
That a vow is a promise, not a mere or simple decision
That a vow is a voluntary promise
That a vow is a promise made to God
That a vow or promise should contain something that pleases God
To have simple and solemn vows or promises
That a vow is a promise, not a mere or simple decision
When we make a decision, we intend to do or omit something, but we do not intend to commit to doing or omitting something under sin. However, when we promise something, we commit to committing sin if we do not do what we promised.
So, there is a big difference between a simple or ordinary decision and a promise, because in a decision we simply want to do or omit something, while in a promise we want to do or omit something that is our duty. It follows that we commit a sin if we do not fulfill our promise that was our duty.
To know whether we have made a simple decision or a vow, we should always look at whether we wanted to commit sin or not. If we commit sin, then we have made a vow, and if we do not commit sin, then we have made a simple or ordinary decision. The difference between a vow and a decision is important, because when we make only a decision, if we do not carry it out, we are not committing any sin, or at least we are not committing a grave sin, but if we do not keep a vow that we can and should fulfill, then we are committing a venial or grave sin.
That a vow is a voluntary promise
For an act of ours to be arbitrary, it must be deliberate. An act that we do without deliberation is not a freely done act, and therefore a vow made without the necessary deliberation, or free will, is completely invalid. Since free will is required for a vow, the error in which we are when we commit ourselves to it can also make it invalid. If the error is completely essential, or justified, then the vow is invalid and we are not obliged to fulfill it.
Fear also opposes our free will. Fear can completely weaken or destroy free will, and therefore, in certain circumstances, it can make a vow invalid.
That a vow is a promise made to God
When we make a vow, we acknowledge that God is our Lord and Father, on whom we are completely dependent and expect every good thing, and as such we joyfully worship and honor him. A vow that extends to God is a direct promise, that is, a promise made to God himself, and the obligation to fulfill that promise has its basis in the worship we owe to God.
That a vow or promise should contain something that pleases God
Since God is worshipped by vow, it is quite clear that what is promised to him should contain virtuous good, because only with virtuous good does one honor his holy name and do what pleases him. Virtuous good includes everything we do according to God's will, namely: keeping the commandments, performing good deeds, practicing virtues, practicing the evangelical counsels, as well as various devotions.
To have simple and solemn vows or promises
Solemn vows are those that we make when we enter an order approved by the Holy Church. All other vows that we make, even with the greatest ceremonies, and that are not connected with an ecclesiastical order, are simple vows. A solemn vow is considered a spiritual marriage, while a simple vow is considered a spiritual betrothal. A simple vow can be conditional or unconditional. An unconditional vow should be fulfilled unconditionally and as soon as possible, and a conditional vow should be fulfilled only if the necessary condition is met.
Does the vow please God?
That a vow pleases God is convinced by reason, the Holy Scriptures, as well as the great graces and benefits that many believers have received from God through their vows.
Reason tells us that our virtuous good pleases God, and only the unreasonable and unwise can doubt this. Since the object of a vow can only be virtuous good, it is quite clear that such vows are pleasing and pleasing to God.
The Holy Scriptures also prove that vows are completely pleasing to God. This is seen from these words of the Holy Scriptures where God asks us to fulfill what we have promised voluntarily: "When you vow a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay in fulfilling it. The Lord your God will surely require it of you; and it would be sin in you. But if you do not vow, it will not be sin in you. But you shall fulfill what has gone out of your lips, the vow which you have freely made with your mouth to the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 23:22-24).
Furthermore, the Holy Scriptures prove that God gladly accepts our vows and showers them with great graces and beneficences. This is evident from the vow of the patriarch Jacob: "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God. And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house. And of all that you give me I will surely give you a tenth." (Genesis 28:20-22).
Because of this vow, God accepted Jacob's prayer and brought him safely to his father's house.
From all that has been said, it is quite evident and clear that the vows we make are very pleasing to God.
Are we obligated to keep our vows?
It is our duty to keep our vows until they lose their binding force in a lawful manner!
When we promise God something, it is our sacred duty to fulfill our promise in full, and if we do not fulfill our duty, then we are unjust to God, because we do not keep our words and as such we sin.
The Holy Scriptures speak very clearly about this duty: "This is what the Lord has commanded: If a man vows a vow or binds himself with an oath to bind himself, he shall not break his word; he shall do everything that proceeds out of his mouth!" (Num 30:3).
"When you vow a vow to God, pay it promptly, for he has no pleasure in fools. Therefore, fulfill every vow you make. It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay it." (Ecclesiastes 5:3-4).
When we do not keep our vows, we commit a minor or serious sin, depending on whether the thing promised is important or unimportant.
It is necessary to mention that there are internal and external reasons when we are not obliged to keep a vow and then we do not commit any sin.
Internal reasons are when fulfilling a vow becomes impossible, or harmful or forbidden. We are not obligated to do the impossible, and therefore when circumstances arise that make a vow impossible, or when what we vowed is useless or forbidden, then any obligation to fulfill it ceases, because one cannot and must not promise God something that is useless or forbidden.
External reasons that exempt us from fulfilling a vow are:
Abolition of the vow
Change of vows
Legal absolution from vows
Abolition of the vow
The annulment of a vow is reflected in the fact that the one who has power over us who have made a vow declares our vow invalid!
Thus, any ruler can completely annul all vows of someone who is subject to his authority or will. Likewise, a ruler who does not have authority over someone who has taken a vow can annul those vows that affect his rights.
Change of vows
The obligation of a vow also ceases with a change of vow, which is reflected in the fact that what was vowed is replaced with something else. The change can be for the better and for an equally or less good deed. Anyone who has made a vow can change their vow for the better, or into a better vow.
We cannot change a vow to something less than what we have vowed ourselves, because if we did, we would be giving God less than we promised.
We also cannot change our vow to something equally good ourselves, because it is more pleasing to God, based on a promise that has already been made, that we faithfully fulfill that promise than to take another promise of our own accord, even if it were just as good as the first.
Vows can only be changed to something equally or less good by our spiritual leaders, namely the Pope and bishops, provided that they have completely valid reasons for doing so.
Legal absolution from vows
It should also be said that the obligation of a vow can be terminated by lawful absolution, and this happens when the head of the church completely forgives us the vow made in the name of God.
That the heads of the church, that is, the Pope and bishops, have the authority to forgive vows is evident from these words of the Lord: "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Mt 18:18).
With these words, the Lord appointed his apostles and their successors, or bishops, as his successors on earth and gave them the authority to do everything that he did for the salvation of all people.
Just as the Lord can, so too can his deputies, or bishops, free from a vow made by absolution.
It is absolutely necessary for bishops to have this authority, because otherwise the faithful would be in great trouble, or even in danger of salvation, if no one had the authority to release their vows.
Thus, all the faithful of the Holy Church can be absolved from their vows only by the bishops in their dioceses, because they belong to their judicial authority. However, it is necessary to know that the bishops cannot absolv us from our vows without a valid reason. Whoever gives false reasons and receives absolution is obliged to fulfill his vow, because the absolution thus obtained is of no value to him. Only a lawfully obtained absolution can free us from the fulfillment of our vows. Amen!
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