2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day.
4. Honor your Father and your Mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
10.You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
Sin is a deliberate transgression against the law of God. It is a wilful act of disobedience wherby the sinner prefers his will to that of God and for this reason violates the right of God to the submission of His creatures.
Sin has two main divisions, mortal and venial sin.
A sin is called mortal because it kills the life of grace and brings death to the soul. But for a sin to be mortal or deadly, the transgression must involve a serious matter, the persons must have sufficient reflection of what they are doing, and they must have full consent of the will.
Venial sin is a less serious offence against God.
There are many ways in which we can have complicity in the sin of another, for example: Through counsel, command or consent, through praise, assistance, defence, provocation, or silence.
If in doubt with regard to personal sins, faults or failing, it is best to discuss the situation with a Confessor or Spiritual Director. God is Most merciful and understands our shortcomings.
The Ten Commandments were interpreted by Christ in the New Testament (Mt.5:17-47) and He summed up our duties toward God and neighbor in the "Two Great Commandments." He said: "First, you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, and your whole mind. Second, you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Besides believing what God has revealed, we must study the law and make it a part of our daily way of living. Our Lord emphasized the necessity of obeying the natural law. He himself added some positive laws for all mankind, such as the obligation to enter His Church. In the Law of Christ Jesus, the prominent feature is love -- love for God and love for our fellow men and women. For this reason Christ wills that His followers should not content themselves with merely obeying laws. He wishes them to do more than what is commanded. In the Christian religion the works of mercy, which are deeds of charity done for our neighbor in his bodily and spiritual need are recommended to all. And to those who wish to practice virtue in the highest degree our Savior gave the counsels of perfection; poverty, chastity and obedience. These counsels are the basis of the religious state.
The Chief Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the Hungry , Give Drink to the Thirsty , Clothe the Naked , Visit the Imprisoned , Shelter the Homeless , Visit the Sick , Bury the Dead
One can do the above not only by providing the necessities of life but also by working to correct economic abuses which cause unnesessary unemployment and poverty. those who work to provide comfortable and sanitary housing for the poorperform a corporal work of mercy.
The Chief Spiritual Works of Mercy
Admonish the Sinner , Instruct the Ignorant , Counsel the Doubtful , Comfort the Sorrowful , Bear wrongs patiently , Forgive all Injuries , Pray for the Living and the Dead
The spiritual works of mercy refer directly to the soul of mankind and our eternal destiny. They aid in the healing of the soul and in preserving it from spiritual disease; they help to foster the true happiness of mankind and are the most perfect fulfillment of the command to love our neighbor.
