Again 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. (Matthew 5:33-37 NABRE)
Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary.*
Today, on this Memorial of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, I will seek to be simply honest.
Saint Barnabas, who was a member of the original Christian community of believers which was of one heart and mind, pray for us.
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