Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5, 33- 37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
Do not take a false oath,
but make good to the Lord all that you vow.
But I say to you, do not swear at all;
not 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.
Do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Don’t swear, act!

1. The truth. Living in truth is living in freedom because the truth constitutes the structure of your life. You shouldn’t say things just to get along with people. Be honest with yourself and others. You’ve got to speak the truth from who you are, from what’s deep inside you. Don’t live a double life where you only say what’s convenient or what benefits you. If you do, you’ll lose your identity and clarity. Speak the truth even when that involves admitting your mistakes.

2.  Lies. Lying divides you, it brings serious consequences to your life, and really hurts you because you lose others’ trust. You might say you only tell “little white lies,” but that’s like bugs on a car windshield – little by little, they build up, dirtying your view and making it hard to see clearly. Don’t lie, don’t allow yourself to be lied to, and don’t lie to yourself.

3. The witness. There is only one witness in your life, and that’s God. Don’t be afraid to ask him for help. He’s a kind and just Judge. What drives your life shouldn’t be a constant punishing bullet-point list of “do’s and don’ts.” Life isn’t about constant “no to this or that”. It’s about living in freedom, knowing you are a child of God. Don’t live in lies; live in the truth, because God sees you.

Never forget that something good is on the way.

God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.