To obey the first Commandment, we must especially practice those virtues which have God himself as their immediate object, the theological virtues, which are faith, hope and love. Every practical Catholic, without thinking expressly of these virtues, makes acts of faith, hope and love when he performs his religious duties, such as attendance at Mass, the reception of the Sacraments, prayer, it is important to learn, and to pray from time to time, the acts of faith, hope and love.
Like the first commandment, the second and third commandments are concerned with man’s duties towards the Creator.
The second commandment regards one’s duties in the matter of speech. Catholics should set an example of reverence towards the Holy name of God and His incarnate Son Jesus. Many people will bow their head at the name of Jesus as a mark of reverence, or say “blessed be the name of Jesus”.
The third commandment regards our duties in the matter of external worship. Under the Christian law the first day of the week, Sunday, is the day set aside for the special worship of God. This day is also set aside as a time of spiritual rest and relaxation.
The remaining seven commandments spell out people’s obligation towards self and others. They are concerned with the duties of children towards their parents, and of parents towards their children (4). In a general way the others are concerned with actions (5, 6 & 7,), words (8) and desires (9, & 10.).
The commandments imply more than they expressly command,
for example, the fourth commandment explicitly prescribes only honor for one’s parents, but under this heading is included love, obedience and service. Moreover, as the Church interprets it, this same commandment refers to the duties of all those in any position of subordination towards lawful superiors, particularly parents, to provide for the welfare of those in their charge.
Similarly, the fifth commandment, though it explicitly forbids killing, it is to be extended to include any unjust injury to the body and even to the soul, whether of oneself or of other human beings. The sixth commandment, though directed against adultery, also it forbids every external act against chastity and modesty.
The seventh and eight commandments are concerned primarily
with our duties towards two possessions of our neighbor, his material goods and his good reputation. Because human beings tend to be selfish and neglectful of he rights of others, God considers it necessary to lay down the explicit commands “You shall not steal”…”You shall not bear false witness. The seventh commandment forbids not only stealing but every type of dishonest dealing.
The eight commandment forbids not only falsehood but also many other sins of the tongue, such as gossiping, and the unlawful revelation of secrets.
The ninth and tenth commandments are related to the sixth and seventh:
the ninth forbids interior sins regarding matters of purity, while the sixth forbids exterior acts; the tenth forbids those internal sins the external performance of which is forbidden by the seventh commandment .
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Catholics,
followers of Christ our Lord who are so attentive to the rights of others,
should make every effort to follow His ways and lead others to Him through their good example. God loves us and He wants us to be happy with him forever in heaven.
We are all called to holiness and God, knowing the limitations and suffering that every life has to endure, in his love he has reached into time and gave us a blueprint for reaching heaven. This is the act of a loving Father who knows the hearts of all His children and cares deeply for each one of us. We need to take Him at his word and live by these ten truths – commandments - they will lead us to true freedom. If you find you are still on the fence, take the plunge into freedom, it is the disciplined person who is truly free.
