Mar 23 Sun
Why is God’s Name to be respected?
In today’s Mass passage of Genesis, God discloses his name: “I AM” or, “I AM WHO AM.”
In obedience to the Second Commandment, the people of Israel showed a profound respect for the holy Name God revealed to Moses. Out of reverence, they would never speak or write that name, substituting a word translated into English in most Bibles as “Lord.” Even today, many Jews won’t even write the word “God,” instead inserting a dash between the two consonants: “G-d.”
We too should give supreme respect to God’s Name – including the name of Jesus Christ. Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. This respect extends to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints, and all holy things.
Respect for God’s name includes oaths and vows.
To take an oath is to call upon God as a witness to a truth or a promise. Therefore, an oath must be taken in truth, only when really required, and with justice.
Perjury is a promise under oath with no intention of keeping it, or when after promising on oath one does not keep it. Pledging oneself by oath to commit an evil deed is contrary to the holiness of the divine name.
A vow is a promise made to God. These promises require commitment, a serious obligation, and should be made with free will to be valid.
Other sins against the Second Commandment are blasphemy and ridicule of the Faith.
Christians must defend and profess faith in God’s Name by reacting peacefully and reasonably to sins against the Second Commandment.
The holiness of the divine name demands that we neither use it for trivial matters. Some people show reverence for Jesus’ name by bowing their heads slightly whenever they say or hear the name Jesus.
Unfortunately, many people curse, and take God’s name in vain many times a day thoughtlessly, out of anger, or frustration, or to get a reaction.
Some people, even children, have gotten into the habit of saying, “Oh my God!” constantly and for trivial reasons, whereas we should only say that as a prayer. We can retrain ourselves or our children to say, “Oh my gosh” or “Oh my goodness.”
When we take God’s name in vain, we can make a silent act of reparation. When we hear others do so, we can also make a silent act of reparation.
Using prudence, we can also correct others; we may say something like this, “I love God very much, and when you say that, it really hurts me.” This would be a peaceful and reasonable way to react to a sin against the Second Commandment.
God calls each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred, and is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of man. In Baptism, the Christian receives his name in the Church. Parents, godparents, and the pastor must choose a Christian name. The patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer.
The name one receives is a name for eternity. In the kingdom, the mysterious and unique character of each person marked with God's name will shine forth in splendor.
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