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Let Your “Yes” Mean “Yes” and “No” Mean “No”. What is Jesus Telling Us!

Father Hugh Gillespie, SMM

Let Your “Yes” Mean “Yes” and “No” Mean “No“. What is Jesus Telling Us!

 

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

 

A simple statement by Our Lord Jesus. But, as we may know, this is hard for humans. Typically, in the world, Yes may mean . . . “for now”, “maybe” or “as long as it is convenient”. We are often people of qualifications. Yes! A simple word, but it can have so many meanings. The Homily also talks further about “No”.

Our living, at times is a mixture of both words. Why? We might be frightened by these absolute terms. It’s good to reflect on this in light of the first reading (not included within this audio). Hear more about this in the Homily.

As we say Yes to something, we are saying No to other options. As we make a choice in a career, or make a choice in another way, we are moving away from other things. The more one exercises freedom of choice, future choices have greater depth. However, we also have a narrower range of options. As long as I have an infinite range of options, my life remains undefined.

Hear in the Homily what this means for Elisha. While we may not receive a dramatic call like Elisha to leave everything behind, when we hear the Word of God, there is always a movement toward Him!

Understand what all this means for us! What exactly is Jesus trying to tell us in the readings today! For Elisha, his answer was Yes. I am All Yours! He embraces where God will lead him. He embraced God and let go of other things within his life. But what does Jesus tell us? How do I say No to Sin? How do I say Yes completely?

Listen to this Meditation Media: Listen to:

Let Your “Yes” Mean “Yes” and “No” Mean “No“. What is Jesus Telling Us!

Jesus Christ: German Artist and Painter: Heinrich Hoffman: 1894

Oil painting currently resides in The Riverside Church, New York City.

Gospel Reading: Matthew: 5: 33-37

First Reading: 1 Kgs 19:19-21

Let Your “Yes” Mean “Yes” and “No” Mean “No”. What is Jesus Telling Us!

 

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