Sins Against the Second Commandment

"Lord, save us! we are perishing!" St. Matthew, 8:26.

In the early 1900's Messina, Italy, had the reputation of being an ir­religious and sinful city. They had even conducted a blasphemous proces­sion and had given voice to the defiant threat thrown at the Lord:
"Send down an earthquake, if you can."

It is a matter of history that a short time after this wicked and devilish challenge the city of Messina was totally destroyed by an earthquake in the year of 1908. Those people learned, as everyone who breaks the Second Commandment will learn, that God avenges sins against His Holy Name, and that God preaches in a different way than we do.

1. One of the worst sins not only against the Second Commandment, but in the entire catalogue of sin, is blasphemy, which means an expression that is insulting to God, to religion, or to the saints.

A. One commits blasphemy by words, gestures, writing, drawing, or by distributing writings insulting to the Lord.

B. Blasphemy is a direct insult to the Lord Himself. It is directly in­sulting to Him by being against faith, the sacraments, the Mass or some sacred person.

C. It is an extremely serious sin, as we read in the Old Testament. "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die." Levit. 24 :16. It usually includes hatred or contempt or lack of faith. It is so frightfully sinful because it generally has not the excuse of passion, human weakness, or self-interest, but is cold-blooded and malicious.

D. Frequently expressions which seem to be blasphemous are really not so; they are rather profanity. Again, loss of temper and a weak faith often lead people to say things which they really do not mean.

2. Cursing means calling down evil upon ourselves or others.

A. Sometimes it is serious and deliberate, and is like a prayer to God asking Him to bring about some evil. Often the curser only vaguely intends to wish evil to someone, or he wishes to express his anger towards animals or inanimate things.

B. It is a sin against love of self and love of neighbor. It is a sin of disrespect toward God and His Holy Name. It is a venial sin when it is due to thoughtlessness or a habit which one is trying to correct, or if it is the cursing of animals or lifeless things. It is a mortal sin when the evil wished is serious, when we think about it, and really mean the curse.

3. Profanity means taking God's name in vain. Here we need to remember the words of Ecclesiasticus, 23: 10: "Let not the naming of God be usual in thy mouth. . . for thou shalt not escape free from sin."

A. Profanity is committed by:

1. Using the name of God without just cause, thoughtlessly, through habit, impatience, surprise, or merely to emphasize a point. Your use of God's name is profane when it does not honor God, or help your neighbor or help you.

2. Speaking lightly or jokingly of God or holy thing".

3. Using words of Scripture unbecoming to believers, like "damn", "hell," or words that mimic in sound the name of God.

The all-too-common American expression. "Jeez," should be noted here. It sounds exactly like the first part of the Holy Name of Jesus. Any­one who loves the Holy Name and who wants to keep the Second Command­ment carefully, ought to avoid that expression, and others like it.

B. The sinfulness of profanity or using the name of God in vain, de­pends upon the deliberation, the irreverence intended and the scandal given. Ordinarily profanity is only a venial sin. It becomes serious and a mortal sin when there is deliberate and intentional contempt of God or His Holy Name.

4. Even though we previously discussed perjury we would like to empha­size again its wickedness. Perjury means to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, "so help me God," and then to tell a lie. The perjurer asks God to witness to a lie. Even the civil courts punish one who perjures himself. It is also a serious offense against the law of God.

In fact, the four great offenses we have mentioned today are against the Second Commandment - blasphemy, cursing, profanity, and perjury. Oh, how the world is clouded with these sins. Like a black breath these sins against God's Holy Name rise to heaven continuously.

To continue blaspheming and cursing and indulging in profanity is to make sure of your damnation. It is like being out on a wild and stormy sea, like the apostles in the Gospel this morning. They cried out: "Lord save us! we are perishing!"

The Catholic with the bad habits of cursing and profanity is perishing. Call out to the Lord today to help you overcome that disgusting habit.

Lord, save us from it. Amen.
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Adapted from Talks on the Commandments
by Fr. Arthur Tonne