The Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua
So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and put his mantle on him. Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you."
He said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you?"
He returned from following him, and took the yoke of oxen, killed them, and boiled their meat with the oxen's equipment, and gave to the people; and they ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, Neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
"Again you have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not make vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' But I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; Nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes ' be 'Yes ' and your 'No ' be 'No.'Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.
Saint Anthony of Padua, the beloved Franciscan preacher and Doctor of the Church, earned his reputation as a powerful teacher whose words could move hearts and minds toward God. His feast reminds us that authentic spiritual authority flows from genuine encounter with Christ.
Notice how Elisha's calling unfolds with such decisive clarity. When Elijah's mantle falls upon him, there's no hesitation about the invitation itself—only a brief pause to honor family bonds before burning his farming equipment. The oxen that once defined his livelihood become a feast for the community. What emerges here is a pattern of radical commitment: true calling doesn't just redirect our energy; it transforms our old life into nourishment for others.
This movement from hesitation to wholehearted response connects beautifully with Jesus's teaching about letting our "yes" be yes and our "no" be no. In a culture obsessed with elaborate oaths and guarantees, Christ calls us toward something more challenging: simple integrity. The issue isn't about avoiding all promises, but about becoming people whose word carries weight because our character is reliable.
Consider how this plays out on ordinary Tuesday mornings. When we tell a colleague we'll have that report ready, when we promise our spouse we'll pick up groceries, when we assure our children we'll attend their game—these small commitments reveal whether we're becoming people of our word. The temptation is to hedge our bets, to leave ourselves escape routes, to make grand gestures while neglecting simple faithfulness.
Like Elisha, we're called to burn our bridges with half-heartedness. Like the disciples Jesus addresses, we're invited into a way of living where our reliability speaks louder than our rhetoric.
What commitments in your life need the clarity of a simple "yes" or "no"? How might your ordinary promises become acts of discipleship?