Honesty, a Fundamental Value

     “Repent, and believe in the Gospel!” With great frequency public officials, reporters, and even the President of the United States have been accused of lying. Let us not forget, honesty is still a fundamental value in the Catholic Church and in society as a whole.

     “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.” In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 2464, we read: The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations of the covenant. 

     Speaking the truth about ourselves, our words, and our experiences requires courage and humility. I know from my earliest childhood memories that it is difficult to be honest. And yet, when I have accepted the truth and humbly presented it to others I have seen positive outcomes.

     I remember a time in college when I was president of an organization that had made a costly mistake with a business. While the temptation was strong to falsify the results of our work, I went to the owner of the business and told him the truth. We had not fulfilled our promise to his company. Another member of the group was supposed to accompany me, but he did not arrive. The temptation to lie was even greater; however, the owner was wise and gentle. He helped me to see what we could learn from the experience. We were students and he said we must learn. He, too, was learning from the experience. He invited me to teach the group about our experience. Then he told me that honesty required me to go to our organization’s advisors and tell them the truth, too! Ouch! I had more learning to do. Thankfully, they too were very gracious.

     We must be relentlessly honest and not lower our expectations! We must promote honesty by helping each other to be honest. The business owner showed me that the truth is valuable for everyone involved. The truth is an important path to learning. Dishonesty and cheating are paths to selfishness and greed.

“A clear conscience makes the softest pillow,” (Anonymous).

If you tell the truth, then you do not need to remember anything,” (Mark Twain).

“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).

Repent, and believe in the Gospel!

Peace, Fr. Andy