27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 5/10/2014 - Gospel: Mt 21: 33-43
To abuse God's name
The exploitation of saying God's name in vain has become more widely used. It was first on private conversations and then grew into television dialogues and now it is in electronic and print materials. What makes people use God's name in vain has no clear answer. Whether you believe in God or not it makes no sense to exploit God's name. If you believe in God and then the misused God's name it is a disgrace. The second commandment forbids using God's name in vain. We should call God's name with utter respect and reverence, not with disgrace and dishonour. If you believe God doesn't exist then what is the point of calling on something that you believe doesn't exit. It certainly won't make you feel better or worse because for you God doesn't exit. People call God's name in vain when they are angry but what are the motives? If you want to let God know that you are angry then ask yourself about the benefits of it. If you want God come to your aid then asking for wisdom and strength for a conversion of the heart. If you want to let God know about your feelings then wisdom tells us that there are better ways to express it. We all know that abusive behaviour is not welcomed by either young or old and it drives people away from you. But when you are calm and composed it makes people feel sympathy toward you and they come to help you.
People who believe in God should use God's name in prayers and with utter respect and reverence and people who don't believe in God should avoid using God's name in vain because if it was not for the sake of God then it is at least respecting and regarding the view of other believers. There is one thing I am certain of and that is God won't get upset when you use God's name in vain but people who believe in God may get disturb and displeased. The point is that they are innocent to your feelings and there is no need to make innocent people upset.
For centuries God's name has been abused and misused. God's name is a gift not a weapon and as a gift we should use it to control our own bad habits. We should use it to defeat temptations and we should use it to overcome the power of evils as the Scripture solemnly proclaims when we hear the name of God every knees should bend to worship. Phil 2,10
Using God's name in vain doesn't stop at abusive spoken language but it somehow manifests through dreadful actions and it is society's problem today. Different factions use the name of God to fight for and to destroy not just historical buildings or physical monuments and sacred places of worship but they call to cause harm and destroy the sacredness of human life. Regardless of good and convincing oratory made from different leaders of fractions I strongly believe that any advocacy of action that leads to destroy and cause harm to the sacredness of human life is an act of violence against the nature of our loving God. Indeed any unloved action is an act against God. Those who intend to destroy God will soon learn that their efforts and sacrifice is only for vanity as we see in today's parable. The Master went abroad and entrusted the land to the labourers. The Master made them stewards of the land but they were unsatisfied and wanted more. They wanted to own the land. Their attempt failed badly and they lost the life of peace and prosperity.
People who believe in God should use God's name in prayers and with utter respect and reverence and people who don't believe in God should avoid using God's name in vain because if it was not for the sake of God then it is at least respecting and regarding the view of other believers. There is one thing I am certain of and that is God won't get upset when you use God's name in vain but people who believe in God may get disturb and displeased. The point is that they are innocent to your feelings and there is no need to make innocent people upset.
For centuries God's name has been abused and misused. God's name is a gift not a weapon and as a gift we should use it to control our own bad habits. We should use it to defeat temptations and we should use it to overcome the power of evils as the Scripture solemnly proclaims when we hear the name of God every knees should bend to worship. Phil 2,10
Using God's name in vain doesn't stop at abusive spoken language but it somehow manifests through dreadful actions and it is society's problem today. Different factions use the name of God to fight for and to destroy not just historical buildings or physical monuments and sacred places of worship but they call to cause harm and destroy the sacredness of human life. Regardless of good and convincing oratory made from different leaders of fractions I strongly believe that any advocacy of action that leads to destroy and cause harm to the sacredness of human life is an act of violence against the nature of our loving God. Indeed any unloved action is an act against God. Those who intend to destroy God will soon learn that their efforts and sacrifice is only for vanity as we see in today's parable. The Master went abroad and entrusted the land to the labourers. The Master made them stewards of the land but they were unsatisfied and wanted more. They wanted to own the land. Their attempt failed badly and they lost the life of peace and prosperity.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia