WATCHWORD:
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open [a]tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:9-18
And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy… 12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:1-8, 12-17
Meditation:
Taking the Oath
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So, help me God.” That is one oath. It is right there in our Constitution. Real and readable.
The oath of office. The swearing in…. I swear allegiance… I pledge… How did that go? Let’s see, “I, Stanley Bosworth Escott, do solemnly swear to execute the duties of a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God, and will to the best of my abilities, protect, preserve, defend and enforce the ten commandments and all the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, so help me God. Amen.
You remember that? Remember taking that oath of office? How’s it going? How are you handling the “Big Ten”? Wait, you say you didn’t take that oath? Really? What about the Nicene Creed, or the Apostles Creed, or the ‘Profession of faith’ found in Romans? No, those are not oaths!
Not oaths? Well, I think you did take some kind of oath, not in so many words, but in the act of giving your whole being, you did swear, pledge, etc. to Christ, as Lord and Savior. Doesn’t that imply that you will protect, defend and enforce the Commandments, and all those teachings? Well, of course not. There is no “enforce” in God’s Good Book of instructions.
In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, he states: “But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
Ah, so, where in all that is the oath? It is there, in those words you speak about believing in your heart that Jesus is Lord, that the Resurrection seals it, and that by believing you are saved. That puts us on the side of the Angels. That is what gives us a deep, inner peace, and what takes away our fear of death.
OATH: I __(state your name)______ , do openly declare that Jesus is Lord and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, and that in my sincere belief, I am saved, and I am an inheritor of eternal life. Praise the Lord. Amen.
Prayer of Surrender:
God, my Father, I thank you for all that you are, and all that you do for me through your son Jesus Christ. I praise you for my life, for your mercy and for your Eucharist. In Jesus’ name, Father, I place myself entirely in your Heart. I surrender to you my whole self, my heart, my mind, my memory, my imagination, my will, my emotions, my passions, my body, my sexuality, my desire for human approval, my weaknesses, my desires, my sins. I surrender every person in my life to you. I surrender every situation in my life to you. I surrender every relationship I am in to you. I surrender every concern I have to you. I surrender every fear I have to you. I surrender every doubt I have to you. I surrender all confusion I have to you. I surrender all sadness I am experiencing in my heart to you. I surrender all my wounds to you. I surrender all anxiety and worry I have to you. I surrender all that deceives me in my heart to you. I trust you to care for me and others in a perfectly loving way. As I have emptied myself, and surrendered everything to you, I ask you now, Father, to fill me with your Holy Spirit and all the gifts and fruits of your Spirit. Holy Spirit you are the source of love, hope, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, tenderness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Purify my desires. Help me to open my heart to you. Help me to become perfectly receptive as a pure child. Help me to believe in your love for me. Help me to hope in your love. Help me to receive from Jesus all grace and virtues necessary for me to become the person you created me to be. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, Your son. Amen.
