LESSON 38

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

 "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt:19:1  "I meditated also on Thy commandments which I loved." (Ps. 118)

You are about to begin a course in Christian morality. The Catholic Church presents to us the whole way of Christian life; this way of life flows from the Bible, from Tradition, and from reason. We will consider every action possible to man thoroughly and scientifically. You will learn perhaps that some actions which you formerly disregarded as not being seriously wrong are mortal sin. You may also learn that certain actions that you thought were sinful are not sins in themselves. You will probably never again have the chance to study the Ten Commandments so thoroughly. Please study these lessons well; try to understand the reasons why actions are evil or not evil. You must learn the Ten Commandments by heart. At the end of your course the priest will ask you to recite them in order.

A. THE COMMANDMENTS COME FROM ALMIGHTY GOD

The Commandments do not come from men; they do not come from the government of a given nation; they do not come from the Catholic Church, or, any other church. They come from God!

B. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS

Our life is not for health, wealth or riches. The purpose of our life is to learn, to understand, and. to keep the Commandments. Once you understand the true purpose of your life you should be wise and successful. If you don't know the Commandments, or if you don't keep them, your life is a failure. 

C. GOD DEMANDS INSTANT OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDMENTS

You demand instant obedience from your children, because you have a right to demand instant obedience. So God, our Creator, demands instant obedience to the Commandments. Don't debate whether you intend to live according to the Commandments. You MUST obey them. How do you treat your children when they disobey you? You punish them. So God will punish those of us who do not obey the Commandments. 

D. GOD GAVE THE COMMANDMENTS IN A DRAMATIC WAY

The Commandments, written on the fleshy tablets of the human heart (man's conscience) had in great part been lost and forgotten because of original sin; therefore, God gave these Commandments to us again on tablets of stone. He did this in a dramatic way to impress their importance upon us-

" And now the third day was come. and the morning appeared: and behold thunders began to be heard. and lightning to flash, and a very thick cloud to cover the mount, and the noise of the trumpet sounded exceeding loud. and the people that were in the camp feared... And all Mount Sinai was in a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire. and the smoke arose from it as out of a .furnace: and all the mount was terrible. And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder. and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him, and the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, in the very top of the mount. and he called Moses unto the top thereof And when he was gone up thither. ..the Lord spoke all these words: I am the Lord thy God. ..Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. ..Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God. in vain. ..Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. ..Honor thy father and mother. ..Thou shalt not kill ...Thou shalt not commit adultery ...Thou shalt not steal. ..Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. ..Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. ..Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.' (Exod.19:16-25; Exod:20:1-7)

E. OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS IS NOT TOO DIFFICULT

By the grace of God he was not only converted, he became a priest, a bishop, and a Saint. The great sinner-Saint said: "How is it said to be impossible for man to love. ..a beneficent Creator, a most Loving Father."

God promises His grace to help us observe the Commandments. God told St. Paul, who was seriously troubled: "My grace is sufficient for thee." But you yourself will have to fight too. Everyone has different temptations -chiefly against only one Commandment. What is your particular temptation? That is the temptation you will have to conquer. 

F. REWARDS FOR KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS.

Rewards for keeping the Commandments are peace of conscience on earth and a happy life even when things are going wrong. Did you ever see a good person in time of sorrow, for example, at his wife's funeral? Even then he is happy because he keeps the Commandments.

The Psalmist says that God's Commandments convert souls, give wisdom, rejoice the hearts, enlighten the eyes, are sweeter than honey, and are more to be desired than gold and precious stones. The greatest reward for keeping the Commandments is heaven. "Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven." (Matt.5:12)

" Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what things God hath prepared for them that love Him." (1 Cor. 2:9)

Those who keep the Commandments shall bask in the light of God's countenance forever: "They shall be inebriated with the plenty of Thy house: and Thou shall make them drink of the torrent of Thy pleasure." All the pleasures of earth are nothing in comparison with it. We shall be drunk with the pleasure of God. The joy of heaven will be in " good measure ,pressed down, shaken together and running over." (Luke 6:38) Suppose that you go to a soda fountain where your friend works to buy ice cream. He packs it well and shakes it down to get more in the carton: he gives you good pleasure -the ice cream is running over the top. That's the way God will reward us for keeping the Commandments. 

G. NECESSITY OF KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS

"Faith without good works is dead." (James 2: 20) "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.' "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments." (Matt 19:17) For what will it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?" (Matt 16: 26) Our Lord means that if you gain the whole world, for example, if you became President of the United States or king of an the nations of the world, and lose your soul, you have gained nothing.

Non-Catholics have the same obligation to obey the Commandments as Catholics. You take up no more obligations when you become a Catholic.

Don't be deceived by a pagan world that refuses to study the Commandments and pays little or no attention to them. Don't be deceived by a modern pagan who says that we all sin and that God will forgive us. God forgives only repentant sinners. 

H. PUNISHMENT FOR NOT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS

If you do not obey the Commandments, you will not have peace on earth. From disobeying God's Commandments comes sorrow and despair. "If you despise my laws and condemn my judgments. ..1 will set my face against you." (Leviticus 26: 14- 15) 

I. ASK GOD'S HELP WHILE LEARNING THE COMMANDMENTS

You must keep all the Commandments. Any habit of serious sin will lead you to hell. God forgives only repentant sinners. Pray sincerely to God for His help while you are studying the Commandments.

Teach and explain the Commandments to your children. Give your children the example of observing the Commandments always.   

J. LEARN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS  

At the end of this course of instructions the priest will ask you to recite the Commandments in order. Study them now. 

1.   I am the Lord thy God thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. 

2.   Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 

3.    Remember thou keep holy the Lord's day. 

4.    Honor thy father and thy mother. 

5.   Thou shalt not kill. 

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery .

7. Thou shalt not steal. 

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.  

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW OF THIS LESSON  

1. Recite the Ten Commandments in order. 

2. What reward can we expect for keeping the Commandments? 

3. Did the Ten Commandments come from God?

4. What is the whole purpose of life? 

5. Do non-Catholics have the same obligations to observe the Commandments as Catholics do?  

6. Why did God need to give the Commandments in a written form?