Fragmenda

Scripture

Matthew 12:22–50

Matthew 12

Christ reproves the blindness of the Pharisees, and confutes their attributing his miracles to Satan.

22 

Then was offered to him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, so that he spoke and saw.

23 

And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Is not this the son of David?

24 

But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This man casteth not out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

25 

And Jesus knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

26 

And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his kingdom stand?

27 

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

28 

But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.

29 

Or how can any one enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his goods, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his house.

30 

He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.

31 

Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

32 

And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

33 

Either make the tree good and its fruit good: or make the tree evil, and its fruit evil. For by the fruit the tree is known.

34 

O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 

A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

36 

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment.

37 

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38 

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying: Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 

Who answering said to them: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

40 

For as Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

41 

The men of Ninive shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas here.

42 

The queen of the south shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold a greater than Solomon here.

43 

And when an unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 

Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 

Then he goeth, and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked generation.

46 

As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

47 

And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.

48 

But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

49 

And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren.

50 

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Catechism

Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part 3, Chapter 8, Sections 20-21

Inducements To Truthfulness

In order that the faithful may be more disposed to avoid the vice of lying, the pastor should place before them the extreme lowness and disgrace of this sin. In the Sacred Scriptures the devil is called the father of lies; for as, he stood not in the truth, he is a liar and the father thereof.

To banish so great a sin, (the pastor) should add the mischievous consequences of lying; but since they are innumerable, he must be content with pointing out the chief kinds of these evils and calamities.

In the first place, he should show how grievously lies and deceit offend God and how deeply they are hated by God. This he should prove from the words of Solomon: Six things there are which the Lord hateth, and the seventh his soul detesteth: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, a deceitful witness that uttereth lies, etc. Who, then, can protect or save from severest chastisements the man who is thus the object of God's special hate?

Again, what more wicked, what more base than, as St. James says, with the same tongue, by which we bless God and the Father, to curse men, who are made after the image and likeness of God, so that out of the same fountain flows sweet and bitter water. The tongue, which was before employed in giving praise and glory to God, afterwards, as far as it is able, by lying treats Him with ignominy and dishonour. Hence liars are excluded from a participation in the bliss of heaven. To David asking, Lord! who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? the Holy Spirit answers: He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue.

Lying is also attended with this very great evil that it is an almost incurable disease. For since the guilt of the calumniator cannot be pardoned, unless satisfaction be made to the calumniated person, and since, as we have already observed, this duty is difficult for those who are deterred from its performance by false shame and a foolish idea of dignity, we cannot doubt that he who continues in this sin is destined to the unending punishments of hell. Let no one indulge the hope of obtaining the pardon of his calumnies or detractions, until he has repaired the injury which they have inflicted on the honour or fame of another, whether this was done in a court of justice, or in private and familiar conversation.

But the evil consequences of lying are widespread and extend to society at large. By duplicity and lying, good faith and truth, which form the closest links of human society, are dissolved, confusion ensues, and men seem to differ in nothing from demons.

How To Avoid Lying

The pastor should also teach that loquacity is to be avoided. By avoiding loquacity other evils will be obviated, and a great preventive opposed to lying, from which loquacious persons can scarcely abstain.