PROFANITY

 A REFLECTION FOR THE FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME

The second of the Ten Commandments tells us that we must reverence not just God himself, but his very Name.  So great is the respect that we owe to the name of Jesus that it is forbidden to use it in any context where its use does not bring honor and glory to the Son of God. 

The Name of Jesus means “God, Salvation”, and the original Hebrew term for God in this context is the name of Yahweh, the name which devout Jews, even today, will never pronounce or even write.  Their diligence to avoid speaking the name of God has been passed down to the Church, but with a difference.  We are encouraged to use the sacred Name of Jesus, but only when we have a right and sufficient motive.  We speak the Holy Name in prayer and song, in sermons and instructions; we speak it, in other words, whenever the context of what we wish to say requires it.

But we do, or at least may, commit a sin by introducing the Holy Name into our conversation for any inadequate reason, merely that in moments of excitement our stammering tongues may have some strong or startling expression in which to vent our feelings of astonishment, amusement, or anger, as the case may be.  To do so is to profane the Most Holy Name of the Son of God.

Bear in mind also, that this applies not only to the divine Name itself, but to the names of the saints and of all holy things.  To invoke the name of the Holy Family of “Jesus, Mary and Joseph”, for example is to sin three times, profaning the name of each member of that Family.  Similarly, the invocation of the name of “Mary, Mother of God” to express anything other than reverence for our blessed Lady and her Son, should make us cringe in shame.  Whenever we hear such profanities, we should whisper a prayer of reparation under our breath as well as a prayer of forgiveness for the one who dared utter such things.

In the course of everyday conversation we are meant to use ordinary common words.  But the sacred Name of Jesus is only to be introduced when there is adequate reason for doing so.  To do so without such a reason is a sin which must be carefully avoided because it very easily becomes a habit, and other people are easily led to imitate us. Holy Scripture says that “the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.”  We pray in the Our Father “Hallowed be thy Name,” and yet often it is we ourselves who dishonor and profane the sacred Name which we profess to venerate.

Let us avoid such scandal by watching what we say, following the words of Psalm 38: “I will take heed to my ways, that I offend not in my tongue.  I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle, while the ungodly is in my sight.”