B
billy15
Guest
I have to say… I’m a little surprised at the responses here. Especially since I’ve been guilty of taking God’s name in vain a lot, and still slip up to this day. But I’m working on it, to take the phrase (when used in vain) out of my vocabulary. I can see what Fr. Serpa is saying though. If for instance, someone tells me that their aunt got in a car accident, or someone is suffering from a horrible disease, then I could see “Oh my God” being permissible to say; perhaps it could be offered up as a prayer as in, “Oh my God, have mercy on that person.”
However, I think I disagree with him for the most part. It would appear other men who have been Here’s a few articles where the same question is asked to three other priests, who give a contrary answer. it’s not all as cut and dry as this thread seems to make the issue of taking God’s holy name in vain:
osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/16298/Lord%E2%80%99s-Name-in-Vain.aspx
catholic.org/homily/yearoffaith/story.php?id=51378
ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=386807
I think the second commandment is pretty clear, we shouldn’t take our Lord’s name in vain. So yes, Fr. Sepa is right, we’re not blaspheming His name, and maybe sometimes uttering it can help us be aware of the need for divine help… however it’s quite clear that taking God’s name in vain in situations other than these instances is contrary to keeping the Lord’s name holy. The CCC says:
"The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. “The Lord’s name is holy.” For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.
Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. The sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion" (CCC 2143-2144)
I fail to see how mindlessly blurting out our Lord’s name, especially if we’re Christian, shows respect to the mystery of God. Whenever one of my younger cousins or another child I know says “Oh my God”, I ask them to please not say that; that we should have respect for God’s name and not use it so carelessly without thought.
As for saying Jesus’ name in vain, this was a really good article that shows how holy His name is:
peterkreeft.com/topics-more/jesus-prayer.htm
There was a discussion at work one time at lunch that it was “ridiculous” for a friend of mine to tell another co-worker that saying God or Jesus’ name in vain was wrong. The one co-worker couldn’t wrap his head around what my friend had said. The co-worker said, “What’s the differenc eif you say ‘Christ!’ or ‘Gadzooks!’”. I interjected and told him “One is God’s name; the other is not.” I also mentioned how Jesus’ very name is a prayer, going back to the desert fathers. Of course the Jesus prayer is typically spelled out as, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” However, it’s sufficent to just say “Jesus”. As the CCC says,
“The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: “Jesus,” “YHWH saves.” The name “Jesus” contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray “Jesus” is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him.” (CCC 2666)
Was my lapsed Christian co-worker welcoming the Son of God by taking Jesus’ name in vain? Vain is defined as by Webster’s dictionary: “without effect or avail; to no purpose.” IWhat I’m asking is, should we be saying God’s name for no purpose? Again, I am guilty of this and am doing better in stopping myself from saying God’s name in vain. Now if Jesus’ name is a prayer, and “Oh my God” can be used as a prayer… I think we can conclude from the links and selections from the CCC I’ve posted we should take more care in just blurting out the name of God. Even if it isn’t outright blasphemy, it’s still being done in vain.
However, I think I disagree with him for the most part. It would appear other men who have been Here’s a few articles where the same question is asked to three other priests, who give a contrary answer. it’s not all as cut and dry as this thread seems to make the issue of taking God’s holy name in vain:
osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/16298/Lord%E2%80%99s-Name-in-Vain.aspx
catholic.org/homily/yearoffaith/story.php?id=51378
ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=386807
I think the second commandment is pretty clear, we shouldn’t take our Lord’s name in vain. So yes, Fr. Sepa is right, we’re not blaspheming His name, and maybe sometimes uttering it can help us be aware of the need for divine help… however it’s quite clear that taking God’s name in vain in situations other than these instances is contrary to keeping the Lord’s name holy. The CCC says:
"The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. “The Lord’s name is holy.” For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.
Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. The sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion" (CCC 2143-2144)
I fail to see how mindlessly blurting out our Lord’s name, especially if we’re Christian, shows respect to the mystery of God. Whenever one of my younger cousins or another child I know says “Oh my God”, I ask them to please not say that; that we should have respect for God’s name and not use it so carelessly without thought.
As for saying Jesus’ name in vain, this was a really good article that shows how holy His name is:
peterkreeft.com/topics-more/jesus-prayer.htm
There was a discussion at work one time at lunch that it was “ridiculous” for a friend of mine to tell another co-worker that saying God or Jesus’ name in vain was wrong. The one co-worker couldn’t wrap his head around what my friend had said. The co-worker said, “What’s the differenc eif you say ‘Christ!’ or ‘Gadzooks!’”. I interjected and told him “One is God’s name; the other is not.” I also mentioned how Jesus’ very name is a prayer, going back to the desert fathers. Of course the Jesus prayer is typically spelled out as, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” However, it’s sufficent to just say “Jesus”. As the CCC says,
“The divine name may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: “Jesus,” “YHWH saves.” The name “Jesus” contains all: God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation. To pray “Jesus” is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him.” (CCC 2666)
Was my lapsed Christian co-worker welcoming the Son of God by taking Jesus’ name in vain? Vain is defined as by Webster’s dictionary: “without effect or avail; to no purpose.” IWhat I’m asking is, should we be saying God’s name for no purpose? Again, I am guilty of this and am doing better in stopping myself from saying God’s name in vain. Now if Jesus’ name is a prayer, and “Oh my God” can be used as a prayer… I think we can conclude from the links and selections from the CCC I’ve posted we should take more care in just blurting out the name of God. Even if it isn’t outright blasphemy, it’s still being done in vain.
