Saturday, June 15, 2002
10th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: 1 K 19:19-21
Gospel: Mt 5:33-37
Jesus said to his disciples, "You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God's throne, nor by the earth, because it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem because it is the city of the great king. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no. Anything else you say comes from the devil."
Commentary
"Say yes when you mean yes and say no when you mean no." With the radio and the TV, with so many newspapers and magazines, with election campaigns and many occasional speeches and the casual talk of office mates, the weight of the human word has been lost. The truth and seriousness of the human word have disappeared from the horizon of interpersonal relationships. We need written documents and oaths in our courts and in any ordinary business transactions. We have to rediscover the treasure of human word. It was meant for communication and love but it has become instrument of misunderstanding and mistrust. We must risk to trust in others' words and not allow ourselves to change our given word. Once we value our human word, we will be closer to the Word of God.