Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on 2nd Sunday of Easter.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are eight (8) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Second Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not take the Name of the Lord, your God, in vain.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2161.
In Exodus 20:7 we read that we are “not to take the Name of the Lord our God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the Name of the Lord his God in vain.” In Deuteronomy 5:11 we read that we are not to “take the Name of the Lord our God in vain: for he shall not be unpunished that takes His Name upon a vain thing.” The Second Commandment prescribes respect for the Holy Name of the Lord.
Another way of looking at the Commandments of God, is to see them as so many prescriptions for healthy living from the Divine Physician, Almighty God. When doctors write prescriptions and patients follow them, normally, good health ensues. There are many blessings in both this life and the life to come which follow from our keeping God’s Commandments.
The term “name” can be considered variously. The name designates the person, in the case of Almighty God a Divine Person, in the case of the Holy Trinity the three Divine Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. When one makes “a name” the name stands for fame, renown or reputation. Almighty God has a certain amount of fame (Creator of the Universe), renown (All Powerful) and reputation (Merciful and Just). God, the Almighty and the like are such as to constitute the distinctiveness of God, the Almighty and are used to designate His very being.
God has revealed His Name to Moses of old: I AM WHO AM (cf. Exodus 3:14). The Hebrew word hayah is translated as exist, to be.
The holiness of the Lord’s Name may be found throughout Sacred Scripture (cf. Leviticus 20:3; 22:32; 1 Chronicles 16:10, 35; 29:16; Psalm 33:21; 99:3; 103:1; 105:3; 106:47; 111:9; 138:2; 145:21; Isaiah 57:15; Ezekiel 20:39; 36:20; 39:7, 25; 43:7–8; Amos 2:7; Wisdom 10:20; Sirach 47:12; 2 Maccabees 8:15).
The Lord Jesus received His Name from Saint Joseph, through the prompting of an angel (cf. Matthew 1:21, 25). In His turn, the Lord Jesus desires that we make our prayers in His Name (cf. John 14:13–14; 15:16; 16:23–26).
By respecting the Holy Name of God, keeping the Second Commandment, we also keep the First Commandment, having no other gods than God and giving Him His due, namely, respecting His Holy Name. It is an act of the virtue of religion, a subset of justice. Before the Incarnation, pious Jews would circumlocute the Holy Name of God, by invoking “The Name” even with a solemn head bow. J.K. Rowling in mockery and fear has her evil character Voldemort him “he who must not be named.” We call on the God of love with love and respect.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr