This morning's General Audience began at 9:30am local time (3:30am EDT) in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from other parts of the world.
In his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the Commandments, adding his meditation on Respect the name of the Lord (Biblical passage: Exodus 20:7 and the gospel of John 17:25-26).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
We continue the catecheses on the Commandments and today, we will look at the Commandment: Do not use the name of the Lord your God in vain (Ex 20:7). We correctly read this Word as an invitation to not offend the name of God and to avoid using it inappropriately. This clear understanding prepares us to deepen our understanding of these precious words even more: not to use the name of God in vain, inappropriately.
Let us listen closer to these words. The you will not pronounce version translates an expression that literally means - in Hebrew and in Greek - do not take it upon yourself, do not entrust yourself.
The expression in vain is clearer and means: Empty, out of vanity. It refers to an empty casing, a container devoid of content. This is the characteristic of hypocrisy, formalism and lying, using the words and the name of God, but empty, without truth.
In the bible, a name is the true intimacy of things and above all of a person. A name often represents a mission. For example, Abram in the Book of Genesis (cf Gn 17:5) and Simon Peter in the Gospels (cf Jn 1:42) receive new names to indicate a change in the direction of their lives. And truly knowing the name of God leads to the transformation of our lives: from the moment when Moses knows the name of God his experience is changed (cf Ex 3:13-15).
In Jewish rites, the name of God is solemnly proclaimed on the Day of Great Forgiveness, and the people are forgiven because through the name of God, they come into contact with the very life of God who is mercy.
Therefore taking the name of God upon ourselves means taking the reality of God upon ourselves, entering into a strong relationship, a close relationship with Him. For us Christians, this Commandment is a call to remind us that we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as we re-affirm every time that we make the sign of the cross on our own bodies, in order to live our daily lives in real and experienced communion with God, that is to say: in his love. And on this matter, making the sign of the cross, I want to reiterate: teach your children how to make the sign of the cross. Have you seen how children make the sign of the cross? If you say to a child: Make the sign of the cross, they do something that they do not understand. They do not know how to make the sign of the cross! Teach them to name the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a child's first act of faith. This is something for you to do, a task for you to undertake: teach children how to make the sign of the cross.
Someone may ask: is it possible to take the name of God upon ourselves in a hypocritical way, as a formality, emptily? Unfortunately, the answer is yes: it is possible. It is possible for us to live in a false relationship with God. Jesus used to say this about the doctors of the law; they would do things, but they did not do what God desires. They spoke of God, but they would not do the will of God. And Jesus advice is: Do what they say, but not what they do. We can live in a false relationship with God, like those people did. And this Word from the Decalogue is precisely our invitation to enter into a relationship with God that is not false, void of hypocrisy, a relationship in which we entrust ourselves to Him with all that we are. After all, if we ever stop seeking to live with the Lord, to touch the fullness of life which we find in him with our own hands, then all of this will remain solely a theory.
This is Christianity that touches our hearts. Why are the saints so capable of touching hearts? Because the saints not only speak, they act! Our hearts are moved when a holy person speaks to us, tells us something. And this happens because, in the saints, we see that which our hearts most profoundly desire: authenticity, true relationships, radicalism. And this can also be seen in the next-door saints such as the many parents who provide their children with the example of their own lives, lived simply, honestly and generously.
If more and more Christians take upon themselves the name of God without falsity - practicing the first petition of the Lord's Prayer: hallowed be thy name - the proclamation of the Church will be more widely heard and become more credible. If our lives concretely demonstrate the name of God, we will see how beautiful the sacrament of Baptism is and how great the gift of the Eucharist is!, what a sublime union there is between our bodies and the Body of Christ: Christ in us and we in Him! United! This is not hypocrisy, this is truth. This is not speaking or praying like puppets, this is praying with heart, loving the Lord.
From the cross of Christ and looking forward, no one should despise himself and think badly about our own existence. No one and never! Whatever we have done. For the name of every one of us has been laid on the shoulders of Christ. He is carrying us! It is worth the effort to take upon ourselves the name of God because He has carried us, and he will carry us until the end of time, even the evil that is within us; He took care of forgiving us, in order to place his love in our hearts. This is the reason why Jesus proclaims in this commandment: Take me upon yourselves, for I have taken you upon myself.
Anyone can invoke the holy name of the Lord, who is faithful and merciful Love, in whatever situation he or she might find him or herself. God will never say no to a heart that sincerely calls upon Him. And let us remember our homework: teach children to make the sign of the cross properly.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the Commandments, adding his meditation on Respect the name of the Lord (Biblical passage: Exodus 20:7 and the gospel of John 17:25-26).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Catechesis of His Holiness, Pope Francis
at the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
We continue the catecheses on the Commandments and today, we will look at the Commandment: Do not use the name of the Lord your God in vain (Ex 20:7). We correctly read this Word as an invitation to not offend the name of God and to avoid using it inappropriately. This clear understanding prepares us to deepen our understanding of these precious words even more: not to use the name of God in vain, inappropriately.
Let us listen closer to these words. The you will not pronounce version translates an expression that literally means - in Hebrew and in Greek - do not take it upon yourself, do not entrust yourself.
The expression in vain is clearer and means: Empty, out of vanity. It refers to an empty casing, a container devoid of content. This is the characteristic of hypocrisy, formalism and lying, using the words and the name of God, but empty, without truth.
In the bible, a name is the true intimacy of things and above all of a person. A name often represents a mission. For example, Abram in the Book of Genesis (cf Gn 17:5) and Simon Peter in the Gospels (cf Jn 1:42) receive new names to indicate a change in the direction of their lives. And truly knowing the name of God leads to the transformation of our lives: from the moment when Moses knows the name of God his experience is changed (cf Ex 3:13-15).
In Jewish rites, the name of God is solemnly proclaimed on the Day of Great Forgiveness, and the people are forgiven because through the name of God, they come into contact with the very life of God who is mercy.
Therefore taking the name of God upon ourselves means taking the reality of God upon ourselves, entering into a strong relationship, a close relationship with Him. For us Christians, this Commandment is a call to remind us that we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as we re-affirm every time that we make the sign of the cross on our own bodies, in order to live our daily lives in real and experienced communion with God, that is to say: in his love. And on this matter, making the sign of the cross, I want to reiterate: teach your children how to make the sign of the cross. Have you seen how children make the sign of the cross? If you say to a child: Make the sign of the cross, they do something that they do not understand. They do not know how to make the sign of the cross! Teach them to name the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a child's first act of faith. This is something for you to do, a task for you to undertake: teach children how to make the sign of the cross.
Someone may ask: is it possible to take the name of God upon ourselves in a hypocritical way, as a formality, emptily? Unfortunately, the answer is yes: it is possible. It is possible for us to live in a false relationship with God. Jesus used to say this about the doctors of the law; they would do things, but they did not do what God desires. They spoke of God, but they would not do the will of God. And Jesus advice is: Do what they say, but not what they do. We can live in a false relationship with God, like those people did. And this Word from the Decalogue is precisely our invitation to enter into a relationship with God that is not false, void of hypocrisy, a relationship in which we entrust ourselves to Him with all that we are. After all, if we ever stop seeking to live with the Lord, to touch the fullness of life which we find in him with our own hands, then all of this will remain solely a theory.
This is Christianity that touches our hearts. Why are the saints so capable of touching hearts? Because the saints not only speak, they act! Our hearts are moved when a holy person speaks to us, tells us something. And this happens because, in the saints, we see that which our hearts most profoundly desire: authenticity, true relationships, radicalism. And this can also be seen in the next-door saints such as the many parents who provide their children with the example of their own lives, lived simply, honestly and generously.
If more and more Christians take upon themselves the name of God without falsity - practicing the first petition of the Lord's Prayer: hallowed be thy name - the proclamation of the Church will be more widely heard and become more credible. If our lives concretely demonstrate the name of God, we will see how beautiful the sacrament of Baptism is and how great the gift of the Eucharist is!, what a sublime union there is between our bodies and the Body of Christ: Christ in us and we in Him! United! This is not hypocrisy, this is truth. This is not speaking or praying like puppets, this is praying with heart, loving the Lord.
From the cross of Christ and looking forward, no one should despise himself and think badly about our own existence. No one and never! Whatever we have done. For the name of every one of us has been laid on the shoulders of Christ. He is carrying us! It is worth the effort to take upon ourselves the name of God because He has carried us, and he will carry us until the end of time, even the evil that is within us; He took care of forgiving us, in order to place his love in our hearts. This is the reason why Jesus proclaims in this commandment: Take me upon yourselves, for I have taken you upon myself.
Anyone can invoke the holy name of the Lord, who is faithful and merciful Love, in whatever situation he or she might find him or herself. God will never say no to a heart that sincerely calls upon Him. And let us remember our homework: teach children to make the sign of the cross properly.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!
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