We all learned the Ten Commandments growing up. Most people will remember “Thou shall not kill,” and “Thou shall not steal.” But according to a survey conducted by Kelton Research, more Americans remember the ingredients of a McDonald’s Big Mac than the Ten Commandments.
Suppose we agree to make one resolution; if we do not remember all the commandments, let us learn them again. But perhaps it would be a better “New Year” resolution to learn one very well? Suppose we start with an easy one, say “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” All of the 10 commandments have taken a beating over the years, but this one seems to have been forgotten all together. 
In the legal sense we still consider lying under oath a major crime and sin. Or do we? Have we not made exceptions to even this? How many court cases over the years have we heard the excuse “It was only a “little lie” under oath. It was not like they were hurting anyone, just protecting another. But David reminds us in Psalm 34:
13 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
St. Benedict also reminds us of the importance of speaking the truth, even to the point of stating that those who do not will not “abide in the tent” of the Lord. He reminds us in the Prologue (22-27) of the teaching in Psalm 15:
1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
So we can take it as a given we are not to speak falsely under oath, and should speak the truth from the heart. But what else does the commandment ask of us? Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel goes one step further in his Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict.
“False witness means that by which truth is made sport of, so that things done or said are said not to have been done….Every promise uttered with words only, and not fulfilled by works, is without doubt proven to be false witness.” p. 170.
Upon reflection, how many of us can truly say we are innocent? How many promises lightly made were set aside for convenience and without good cause? Very few people have been called to court to testify, but how many have made promises to a person and broken them “for good reason?” A story comes to mind of a little boy who was promised by his dad to take him to the zoo. Friday comes along and he tells his son that he is sorry, but he has to work the next day and he cannot take him. Imagine the boy’s disappointment. But think about how he felt when he watches his father put his golf bag in the car? The more “business savvy” people would say that this was ok, he was conducting business on the course. He is earning the money for a home and food on the table. But the little boy does not understand. Worse, it was his father’s word that was broken.
We all feel, from time to time, that circumstances require us to break our word. But the Rule invites us to a deeper understanding of Our Lord’s teachings, to follow Him along the narrow path, to examine our own lives and to allow Our Lord to convert our hearts. All Oblates have made at least one promise — our Oblation. It is not just a promise, it is a solemn promise. We have given our word to:
“offer myself to Almighty God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to our holy Father Benedict, for Belmont Abbey, Belmont, North Carolina and I do promise, before God and all the Saints, the reformation of my life according to the Rule of the same most holy Father Benedict and according to the Statues of the Oblates.”
Can anyone offer a better New Year’s resolution but to examine how they have fulfilled this promise and acted upon it in their life? Benjamin Franklin once said that we cannot hope to tackle all our faults at once, but must take them one by one until we have overcome each fault in turn. This was not original, it was also taught by St. Benedict and John Cassian as well. So …”(l)et each one take into account that he is constantly observed by God from heaven and our deeds everywhere lie open to the divine gaze and are reported by the angels at every hour.” (RB 7:13)
15 Turn aside from evil and do good;
seek and strive after peace. (Psalm 34)
