In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus tells the story of two sons who were invited by their father to work in his vineyard. One said he would but didn’t. The other said he wouldn’t but did. One of the lessons of the parable is our call to be people of our word. Here is an extract from the Catechism on the importance of truthfulness.
‘Truth as uprightness in human action and speech is called truthfulness, sincerity, or candor. Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and in guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.
People could not live with one another if there were not mutual confidence that they were being truthful to one another. The virtue of truth gives another their just due. Truthfulness entails honesty and discretion. In justice, as a matter of honor, one person owes it to another to manifest the truth.
The disciple of Christ consents to live in the truth, that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord's example, abiding in his truth’ (CCC 2467-2470).
‘Truth in this time is so obscured and lies so widespread that one cannot recognize the truth unless one loves it’ (Blaise Pascal 1588-1651).