The Second Commandment

(Plain Text Version)

The Second Commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
God has revealed His name so that we can talk to Him and to tell others about His goodness. Let’s be sure that we don’t use God’s name for any other reason!

The Name of God
God could have remained a distant, unknowable entity. Out of love for us, He chose to reveal His name. When Moses asked for His name, God said “I am Who am”, meaning “I always existed.” The words “Yahweh” and “Lord” developed from “I am Who am.”
Jesus revealed the sacred name in more detail when He commanded us to baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

The Power of God’s Name
Here are two ways to express sorrow for our sins: “I am sorry for doing bad things,” or “O my God, I am sorry for having offended You.” The first expression is OK, but the second one opens an encounter with God, who has power to change our lives.

What the Second Commandment Requires
Praying to God: When we pray, we should use the name of God to be clear that we are praying to the true God.
Speaking about God: When we carry out our duty to spread and explain the faith, we should use the name of God often. When we refer to God by name, we proclaim that He is a Being, not an impersonal force.
Oaths: An oath is the calling of God’s name to witness the truth of what we say or what we promise to do. We should never take an oath without a very good reason. To violate an oath is a serious offense against God.
Vows: A vow is a free and deliberate promise to God to take on a new obligation. Some vows are lifelong, and others are temporary. Church authorities can dispense (release) some vows. We must never take a vow casually.

What the Second Commandment Forbids
The second Commandment forbids misuse of the name of God. It also forbids violations of oaths or vows. Two serious offences need additional discussion: blasphemy and cursing.
Blasphemy is speaking or thinking about God in a scornful or abusive way. Blasphemy is often committed by unbelievers who wish to draw people away from God.
Believers can fall into blasphemy because of resentment against God for misfortunes in life. By accepting all trials as gifts from a loving God, we can guard against this hostility toward our Creator.
Cursing is the calling of God to harm someone. It arises from sinful hatred of someone. It is a form of blasphemy because it treats God as someone who could do evil.

Many thanks to: Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., Pocket Catholic Catechism, 1989, Doubleday