COMMON OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Let your “Yes” mean “Yes,” and your “No” mean “No.” 

Has someone ever broken their word to you? Has someone’s lie given them an unfair advantage over you? Experiences like these can create deep wounds and make it hard for us to trust people. We might turn inward and isolate ourselves. In a world where people don’t seem to play by the rules, we might even feel tempted to do the same. But that’s not what Jesus teaches. He says to let our yes mean yes, and our no mean no, regardless of what other people are doing (Matthew 5:37).

In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the importance of keeping our word. He wants our words to reflect accurately what is in our hearts, and he wants our actions to be consistent with our words. Ultimately, he is looking for faithfulness, a faithfulness that reflects God’s own fidelity. And that can help heal our wounds and restore trust in the people around us.

This is challenging. Jesus knows our weakness and how easily we can be tempted to distort the truth. A child might fib about finishing her homework so that she can play outside. Adults might hide their mistakes or omit details in a story if they reflect poorly on themselves. We may commit to do something without intending to fulfill it. “I’ll do it—I promise!” We might even make a vow: “By God, I’m telling you the truth!”

Jesus cuts through all of this: Let your yes mean yes. We shouldn’t need a vow to justify our word. We should simply do what we say we will do. Jesus calls us to live with such integrity that our word is enough. Living this way means that we commit only to those things that we are both willing and able to do. And it means that we quickly admit it when we fail.

Honesty and integrity can bring God’s goodness into the world. And people need it! So let’s do our best to keep our word. As we do, God’s faithfulness can shine forth through us and offer hope and healing to everyone around us.

“Lord, let my yes mean yes!”

1 Kings 19:19-21
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-10
Matthew 5:33-37