From the Rector: Divine Speech Therapy
Divine Speech Therapy
The second commandment, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, forbids the abuse of God’s name.
- Blasphemy
Blasphemy: uttering against God, inwardly or outwardly words of hatred, reproach or defiance. Speaking ill of God, failing in respect toward him. Attempting to degrade God through speech.
Blasphemy extends to language against the Blessed Virgin Mary, Christ’s Church , the angels and saints, and sacred things. Blasphemy is a grave offense.
Sacrilege: Speech is sacrilegious when the Holy Names or holy things are spoken about in an irreverent, irreligious, or silly way .
Taking the Lord’s Name in vain refers to the vain, pointless or trivial invocation of God’s name.
- Swearing.
A related type of unworthy speech which we will categorize as swearing, involves calling God as a witness to an oath.
Swearing: Promises made to others in God’s name should only be made out of necessity. Jesus said
“ let your yes mean yes and your no mean no” (Mt 5:33-34).
Rash oaths: swearing to God without a prudent reason is an abuse of God’s name.
False oaths: Invoking God as the witness to a false oath is to call on God to be witness to a lie. –perjury.
Evil oaths: Pledging oneself by oath to commit an evil deed is contrary to the holiness of the divine name.
III. Cursing
Cursing: A third category of speech which is displeasing to God is cursing, that is expressing the desire for evil, or even eternal damnation to come upon our neighbor or any part of God’s creation. This offense is compounded when God ‘s name is invoked. As Christians we are called upon to bless those who curse us.
- Profanity
Profanity: This type of speech involves coarse references to the human body. Sexual relations or personal matters of the bodily elimination system that should be private are used to degrade persons, places or things. This type of speech tends to degrade ones attitude toward the sacredness of the sexual union in the Marriage Covenant. It uncovers what should remain veiled.
Lewd or suggestive speech. Engaging in this type of language can tempt people against the 6th or 9th commandment.
Prescription:
- Confess your sins of speech.
- Negative incentive- do penance and penalize yourself.
- Make reparation. Pray the Our Father “Hallowed be thy Name”.
- Say the Divine praises.
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The Divine Praises
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.
May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
