ATC 4 What’s in a Name

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You are not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord your God will not aquit those who take his name in vain, (Exodus 20:7), (British spelling).

You’re listening to All Things Catholic.

I’d like to thank you for joining me today. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal and I’m so glad you found us! Together we are going to explore what it means to be Catholic. Today we’re going to discuss taking the Lord’s name in vain – why does this happen, why it is wrong and what you can do about it.

I’m just coming off a pilgrimage to Lourdes with a fine group of people living in Switzerland and in the UK. I want you to know that I remembered all the prayer intentions I received, and I also prayed for you – each and every listener of All Things Catholic and the weekend edition of deacon rudy’s notes. Hey, that sounds catchy, doesn’t it?

Look, Scripture tells is it’s wrong – period. But that hasn’t seemed to stop people or our culture from doing it. We see people taking the Lord’s name in vain in movies and TV/online streaming programs. I would suggest that it’s almost mainstream. Full confession – I’ve done it myself. So, what’s going on here? What really is the problem with it?

I think we need to consider what conversion is all about. Nothing external to us can cause us to convert – at least not in an authentic way. We can be exposed to the Truth and hopefully that resonates with something within us – the seeds of God’s law written on our hearts, (see Jeremiah 31:33, Romans 2:15, Hebrews 10:16). But God will never force himself on us. Yes, there is a lot at stake, but our conversion has to be a free response to the unmerited, undeserved love of God.

Jesus says as much in the Gospel. In the daily readings for last Thursday from Mark, Jesus sent the twelve out two by two and he told them, “Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them,” (Mark 6:11). Jesus doesn’t tell them to force them to listen.

When people take the Lord’s name in vain, nothing seems to happen, right? Lightning doesn’t strike where they stand. Locusts don’t descend upon them. There are not visible or immediate consequences, so, taking the Lord’s name in vain might seem harmless. But here’s the problem, it erodes our relationship with God. It eats away at the fruits of our conversion. It affects our mindset and slowly, God and the church become less and less important in our lives.

Don’t believe me?

There a lot of advice out there about ways to positively affect our mind to yield some desired outcome. Heck, that’s at the heart of the current mindfulness fad, isn’t it?

If you walk around thinking angry thoughts or thinking stressful things, then you will feel angry or stressed. If you dress professionally you will feel more confident. If you visualize yourself as thinner or wealthier or more successful, then you are more apt to realize weight loss, wealth and success. I’m sure you can think of many more examples. It’s important then to safeguard the way we think about God.

But our relationship can also suffer in other ways. It’s like when you’re married or in a committed relationship of some kind. If your spouse or significant other unknowingly says or does something that belittles you or takes you for granted, it can bother you regardless whether they mean to hurt you or not. For example, if someone sneezes, and your spouse always says, “God bless you,” maybe they go out of their way to tell total strangers that, but when you sneeze – silence.

It’s a small thing, but it can make you feel invisible. And if it makes you feel invisible and you do nothing about it, then it will affect the way you look at them. Gradually, the relationship gets colder until one day perhaps far in the future, the relationship ends.

Taking the Lord’s name in vain is very much like this. Slowly, it can erode our relationship with God. And that may be what’s taking place in someone else who takes the Lord’s name in vain. They could be slowly distancing themselves from God, through ignorance, unintentionally or intentionally because of some deep-seated wound. What should we do about it? How should we handle it?

I would suggest the first thing we can do is silently pray to ourselves. Sr. Mary of St. Peter had a vision of the Lord who told her to pray, “May the Holy Name of God be blessed. Begone Satan,” every time she heard someone take the Lord’s name in vain. That’s a simple, short and effective prayer to use in these situations. So, prayer is a good place to start.

I also think it is appropriate to share your concerns with the other person privately (never reprimand anyone in front of other people). Tell the person privately that when they use the Lord’s name in vain it truly offends us. Yes, this might draw a variety of reactions from the individual but being clear and direct can often solve a problem quickly. It also might open an opportunity for evangelization with the other person.

There are some, however, who have no desire or patience to hear what you have to say. Maybe they are angry with God for some reason or maybe they are unbelievers. But speaking with them privately might set things into motion. It might open some doors. Ultimately, we must remember that we don’t need to personally witness the other person’s conversion or repentance. Our task is to plant seeds, get out of the way and allow the Holy Spirit to nurture the seedlings of faith.

How can we repair our relationship with God if we’ve taken the Lord’s name in vain? I think it’s important to bring this to confession since it violates a commandment. This is a great opportunity for healing and inner conversion.

How can we help someone else who takes the Lord’s name in vain and won’t stop doing it? We need to pray for that person, and we need to shine the light of Christ by the way we live our lives as authentic Christian disciples. But doing nothing is not an option for the disciple. Like those sent before us, we must try.

What do you think? Post a comment on the website, www.deaconrudysnotes.org, and let’s see what everyone has to say on this topic.

Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! Now go make disciples! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

I’m Deacon Rudy Villarreal and next time on All Things Catholic, as we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the 5th anniversary of Laudato Si’, we’re going to talk about what it means to be a Christian living in right relation with God and his creation.

You’re listening to All Things Catholic.

This episode was produced by deacon rudy’s notes. Our theme music was composed by Silent Partner. You can find all sorts of helpful information on the website at www.deaconrudysnotes.org. I’m your host, Deacon Rudy Villarreal. Join us again on our next episode and until then, peace!

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