Greetings! How are you? Truth be told, I am very excited about today. According to the website National Today, it is “Tell the Truth Day” (nationaltoday.com). As the kids say these days, “I’m not gonna lie;” That’s a pretty neat thing to celebrate! In fact, from a faith perspective we are called to live in the light of the truth by our words and deeds. A few biblical passages help to illuminate this:
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) Put negatively, that could be rendered, “Do not tell lies!” Positively it could be put as such, “Speak the truth to one another; judge with honesty and complete justice in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16).
However, living in the Truth is so much more than just the words from our mouth. As St. John the Apostle put it, “Children, let us love not in word or in speech but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Ultimately we follow after Christ who declared that, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6).
Being baptized into His Mystical Body of the Church we are most fully alive when we remain on the way of salvation and cling to the Truth. This necessarily means that we must reject the lies and temptations of the Evil One. With the light of Truth that comes from our faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered and emboldened and strengthened to lead lies of virtue and valor.
May we live with “Caritas in Veritate” (the name of a 2009 Encyclical from Pope Benedict which means “Charity in Truth”) and be a truthful and radiant people, for our Lord told us that, “The truth will set you free!” (John 8:32)
