Gospel

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.”

Reflection

At the time that Jesus walked the earth, there was a way in which people would try to impress someone else about their honesty by swearing on something. And what Jesus trying to say is, to his disciples especially, he's saying, look, I want you to be men of integrity. When you say something, be truthful. If you mean yes, then say yes.

If you mean no, say no. He’s simply asking the disciples to be men of integrity. Truthfulness. Nothing damages relationships more than a lack of truthfulness. Authenticity. That's the goal of a healthy relationship.

Closing Prayer

Father, we know the anxiety of fear that a lack of trust has between people in our world today. Bless us with a longing for truthfulness and integrity. And most especially, help us to model it by always, always telling the truth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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