The Ten Commandments
1. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
Commands: faith, making an effort to know what God has revealed through His Church, believing all that God has revealed, professing belief in what God has revealed; hope; love; worship of God; reverence for holy things, prayer and sacrifice.
Forbids: idolatry, giving to a creature (any person but God) or creation (e.g. sun, moon, stars, “Mother Earth”) the honor which belongs to God alone, superstition, spiritualism, seances, astrology, horoscopes, fortune telling, palm reading, ouija boards, trying to communicate with the dead directly or through others, and all occult practices; tempting God, sacrilege, attendance at false worship; presumption and despair; renouncing the faith or giving up the practice of our religion for the sake of wealth, honors, society, or worldly pleasures.
2. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
Commands: speaking with reverence of God and of the saints, and of all holy things; keeping lawful oaths and vows.
Forbids: blasphemy, the irreverent use of God’s name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, profane words (cursing); false, rash, unjust, and unnecessary oaths and the breaking of vows.
3. REMEMBER THOU KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.
Commands: going to Church on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, reverence in Church.
Forbids: missing Church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work; unnecessary public buying and selling; court trials; and whatever else may hinder the due observance of the Lord’s day.
4. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.
Commands: love, respect, obedience to parents of children in all that is not sin; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to lawful civil authorities, obedience to religious superiors (when in accordance with Magisterial teaching.).
Forbids: hatred of parents and superiors; contempt, disrespect and disobedience towards our parents or lawful superiors.
5. THOU SHALL NOT KILL.
Commands: live in peace and union with our neighbor, to respect his rights, to seek his spiritual and bodily welfare, and to take proper care of our own life and health; controlling one’s anger.
Forbids: all willful murder, suicide, abortion, euthanasia, artificial contraception, sterilization, cloning, endangering life and limb of self or others, fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, and bad example.
6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
Commands: chastity and modesty in all our looks, words, and actions; avoiding occasions of sin.
Forbids: unchaste freedom with another’s wife or husband; pornography, bad movies or books, obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others; masturbation, fornication, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, pedophilia; also all immodesty with ourselves or others in looks, dress, words, or actions.
7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
Commands: respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials. Repentance for sins also requires the restoration of ill-gotten goods, or the value of them, as best as we are able, bound to repair the damage we have unjustly caused.
Forbids: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; violation of contract.
8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
Commands: truthfulness in all things, respect for the good name and reputation of other; the observance of secrecy when required. Repentance for sin also requires those who have lied about their neighbor and seriously injured his character must repair the injury done as far as they are able.
Forbids: lying, injury to good name of others, slander, detraction, tale bearing, rash judgment, backbiting, rash judgments, contemptuous speech; and the violation of secrecy.
9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.
Commands: purity in thought and desire.
Forbids: unchaste or impure thoughts, desires of another’s wife or husband, and all other unlawful impure thoughts and desires.
10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.
Commands: be content with what we have, respect for the rights of others; rejoice in our neighbor’s welfare.
Forbids: desires to take or keep wrongfully, or to damage, what property belongs to another.
Spiritual Admonitions
2 Cor. 12:7-9 – Therefore, that I might not become too elated, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times* I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses,* in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.
Eph. 4:25 – Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Eph. 4:26 & 27 – Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.
Eph. 4:29 – No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
Romans 12:1 – I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship
Romans 12:2 – Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:9 – Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good
Romans 12:10 – love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor
Romans 12:11 – Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 – Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
Romans 12:13 – Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
Romans 12:14 – Bless those who persecute [you], bless and do not curse them.
Romans 12:15 – Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:16 – Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.
Romans 12:17 – Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.
Romans 12:18 – If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.
Romans 12:19 & 20 – Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Rather, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.”
Romans 12:21 – Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
Quotes and Guidance from the Saints
3. The sacrament of Penance is also important. It teaches me to see myself as God sees me, and it forces me to be honest with myself. It leads me to humility. The Curé of Ars once said: “You think it makes no sense to be absolved today, because you know that tomorrow you will commit the same sins over again. Yet,” he continues, “God instantly forgets tomorrow’s sins in order to give you his grace today.” Even when we have to struggle continually with the same failings, it is important to resist the coarsening of our souls and the indifference which would simply accept that this is the way we are. It is important to keep pressing forward, without scrupulosity, in the grateful awareness that God forgives us ever anew – yet also without the indifference that might lead us to abandon altogether the struggle for holiness and self-improvement. Moreover, by letting myself be forgiven, I learn to forgive others. In recognizing my own weakness, I grow more tolerant and understanding of the failings of my neighbor.
LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO SEMINARIANS
From the Vatican, 18 October 2010, the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist.
The Saints:
Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved. St. Ignatius of Loyola.
The Catechism:
The Seven Precepts of the Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists 5 precepts. The last two are mentioned elsewhere in the catechism but
are not listed as precepts. And they are equally important. The original seven are listed here for historic value.
I. To attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and resting from servile works.
II. To observe the days of abstinence and fasting.
III. To confess our sins to a priest, at least once a year.
IV. To receive Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist at least once a year during Easter Season.
V. To contribute to the support of the Church.
VI. To obey the laws of the Church concerning Matrimony.
VII. To participate in the Church’s mission of Evangelization of Souls.(Missionary Spirit of the Church)
The Popes:
On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Gospel presents to us the episode of the adulterous woman (cf. Jn 8:1-11), whom Jesus saves from being condemned to death. Jesus’ attitude is striking: we do not hear words of scorn, we do not hear words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, which are an invitation to conversion. “Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again” (v. 11). Ah! Brothers and Sisters, God’s face is the face of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God’s patience, the patience he has with each one of us? That is his mercy. He always has patience, patience with us, he understands us, he waits for us, he does not tire of forgiving us if we are able to return to him with a contrite heart. “Great is God’s mercy”, says the Psalm.
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter’s Square
Sunday, 17 March 2013
The Lord never tires of forgiving: never! It is we who tire of asking his forgiveness. Let us ask for the grace not to tire of asking forgiveness, because he never tires of forgiving. Let us ask for this grace.
HOLY MASS IN THE PARISH OF ST. ANNA IN THE VATICAN
HOMILY OF POPE FRANCIS
Fifth Sunday of Lent, 17 March 2013
Well, the problem is that we ourselves tire, we do not want to ask, we grow weary of asking for forgiveness. He never tires of forgiving, but at times we get tired of asking for forgiveness.
Let us never tire, let us never tire! He is the loving Father who always pardons, who has that heart of mercy for us all. And let us too learn to be merciful to everyone. Let us invoke the intercession of Our Lady who held in her arms the Mercy of God made man.
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter’s Square
Sunday, 17 March 2013