Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Why Swear Oaths?
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II: Today’s first reading from the Book of Kings gives us a good example of the radical demands made on people God will send for a radical mission. Elisha is up to the call.
Gospel: Why do people require that, at special occasions, a statement be backed up by an oath? Is it that they doubt one another’s sincerity and truthfulness, particularly when it matters? And if God is invoked in witness of the truth, is it always the truth that is sworn to? In the mind of Jesus, Christians should always be so reliable that there is no need for swearing oaths. We should mean what we say on all occasions.
Opening Prayer
Reliable God,
Your son was born for this
and for this he came into this world,
to bear witness to the truth.
Count us among those who listen to him
and who want to be honest seekers of the truth.
Help us to say a firm no to all that is evil
and make our yes a firm yes
to all that is good and worthy,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Elijah left. He found Elisha, son of Shaphat, plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he was following the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak over him.
Elisha left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said: “Let me say goodbye to my father and mother; then I will follow you.” Elijah said to him: “Return if you want; don’t worry about what I did.”
However, Elisha turned back, took the yoke of oxen, and slew them. He roasted their meat on the pieces of the yoke and gave it to his people, who ate it. After this, he followed Elijah and began ministering to him.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10
R. (see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore, my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Incline my heart, O God, to your decrees;
and favor me with your law.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
You have also heard that people were told in the past: Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept.
But I tell you this: do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne;
nor by the earth, because it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great king.
Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For Christians, that they may be so reliable that there is no need for swearing oaths, we pray:
– For friends, that they may always be trustworthy and faithful, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may be faithful to the task God has given us in life, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, almighty Father,
you spoke your creative word
and things and people existed;
you saw that your work was good.
Speak here in our midst your mighty word
and your Son will be present among us
as your faithful, reliable word.
Let him fill our hollow words to the brim
with goodness, honesty and peace,
that we may trust one another
and offer you all honor and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Loyal and trustworthy God,
your Son has spoken to us
words that never pass away.
He filled his words with himself
and so he could be with us here.
Help us too to fill our worn-out words again with ourselves.
Let your own Son speak
in the words we say and the words we hear.
Let him become flesh again in our words,
that we may become free again
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
A few days ago Paul told us that Jesus was always “Yes,” yes to the Father’s will, yes and affirming to people, reliable. May we too be trustworthy and reliable, in our faith, our friendship, our given word, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
=========
Matthew 5:33-37
Don’t swear but act — live in truth, not illusion
Jesus teaches us something powerful: Let your “yes” be yes and your “no,” no (cf. Mt 5:37). Don’t swear — act. Don’t mask the truth — live it.
To live in truth is to live in freedom. It gives your life a foundation. But how often do we say things just to fit in, to please others, to avoid discomfort? This kind of duplicity erodes our sense of identity. It creates confusion — not only in others, but within ourselves. We lose transparency, and slowly, we lose our identity. The Lord calls us to be honest — not flawless, but real. To admit our mistakes, not to hide them. He wants us whole, not split in two.
Some say, “It’s just a little lie.” But small lies pile up, like dust on a window — eventually, we can’t see clearly. Lies wound relationships, corrode trust, and isolate us. And worst of all, we can begin to lie to ourselves. Let’s ask for the grace to be people of integrity, who reject falsehood and speak truth with love — even when it costs us.
There is one witness who sees our hearts: God. But He is not a harsh judge waiting to catch us in failure. He is a loving Father who delights in our freedom. Following Christ is not about ticking boxes or fearing punishment — it’s about walking in truth, with courage, as children of the light.