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[ Introduction ].[ Section 1 ].[ Section 2 ].[ Section 3 ].[ Appendix ]
Section 3:
THE COMMANDMENTS
THE CALL TO
HOLINESS
*310. What does God call
his sons and daughters to do?
God calls his sons and daughters
to grow in holiness+
by imitating++ Jesus Christ,
our Lord, Saviour
and Friend.+++
+”Be holy in all
that you do, just as God who
called you is
holy, as Scripture says: ‘Be holy
because I am
holy.’ “ 1 Peter 1:15-16 (see
Leviticus
11:44-45).
“Be perfect, just
as your heavenly Father is
perfect,”
Matthew 5:48. Holiness is the perfection
of grace and
charity – see 173-191. Charity must
include justice,
hence the Ten Commandments.
++”Be imitators
of God, as his beloved children,”
Ephesians 5:1,
and see 316.
“I am the Way,
and the Truth and the Life. No
one can come to
the Father except by me,” John
14:6.
+++Note that
this answer expresses our personal
response to
God’s new and everlasting covenant:
see 59, 61, 132,
232-236, 266, 317, 357(4) and
especially 404.
Page 147
TRUTH
AND JUSTICE
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
*311. Say the Ten Commandments.+
I am the Lord your God.
(1)
You shall have no other gods
besides Me.
(2)
You shall not take
God’s name in vain.++
(3)
Remember to keep holy
the Sabbath Day.+++
(4) Honour your father and mother.+++
(5)
You shall not murder.
(6)
You shall not commit adultery.
(7)
You shall not steal.
(8)
You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbour.
(9)
You shall not covet++++
your neighbour’s
wife.
(10) You shall not covet
your neighbour’s
goods.
+See Exodus
20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21 for
the full text.
See 62.
++Take in vain:
misuse in speech for some evil
purpose.
+++Only the 3rd
and 4th Commandments tell us
directly what to
do. All the others tell us what
NOT to do. There
are two good reasons for this:
it makes much
more clear what is forbidden, and
it emphasises our freedom to do everything else.
Compare the
forbidden fruit in the Garden of
++++Covet: have
an evil desire for.
Page 148
REFER TO BOOKLET
PAGE 149……
Another version of the Ten Commandments,
in
positive form
and with music available on request,
is this:
First, I must honour God
Second, honour his name.
Third, honour his day, keep holy, this will be my
aim.
Fourth, I must
be obedient.
Fifth, be kind
and true.
Sixth, be pure
in all I say and see and hear and do.
Seventh, I must
be honest.
Eighth, be
truthful in all things I say.
Ninth, be pure
in mind and heart, in all I think
and desire each
day.
Tenth, I must be
satisfied, not be jealous, come
what may.
These are God’s
Ten Commandments.
These I must
obey.
TRUTH: THE REASON FOR THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
*312. Why should all mankind
keep the Ten Commandments?
All mankind should
keep the Ten Commandments
because they are
“the Maker’s instructions”
for his creature, man.+
+Man is a moral
creature, who knows that good
should be done
and evil avoided. But he has free
will, to follow the
moral law of his human nature
or not. See 37
and 49. Like the natural laws
discovered by
science, by which material things
operate, the
natural moral law also comes from
Page 150
God the Creator.
But the natural laws for bodies
cannot be
disobeyed (except by a miracle), whereas
the natural
moral laws can be disobeyed, but not
without eternal
consequences. See Roman
JUSTICE: OUR DUTY
*313. What does God teach us
in the Ten Commandments?
In the Ten Commandments,
God teaches us
our duty+ to himself,
to ourselves and to others.++
+Duty: “what is
owing”, “what is fair”, “what is
just”, “being
responsible”. The child’s expression,
“It’s not
fair!”, means that someone is not doing
their duty. This
natural sense of justice is
expressed in the
Ten Commandments.
++Note the order
of duty: our duty to ourselves is
to save our
souls. See footnote on 315A.
REVELATION
AND LOVE
REVELATION: THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS FOR CHRISTIANS
*314. Why should Christians
keep the Ten Commandments?
Christians should
keep the Ten Commandments
because God revealed+ them to
Moses
and completed them through Jesus
Christ.++
+Revealed: made
them known. See Revelation in
index. 20th
Century scholarship, Biblical,
historical and
archeological, has successfully
authenticated the
teaching of natural moral law
Page 151
and revealed
morality in the books of Moses and
the New
Testament. This is a rebuttal of the
liberal
Protestant scholarship of the 19th century.
++See Matthew
5:17, Jesus Christ also said: “If
you love me,
keep my commandments”, John
keep the
commandments”, Matthew
LOVE: FULFILMENT OF THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
*315. How did
Jesus Christ
complete the Ten
Commandments?
Jesus Christ
completed
the Ten
Commandments
by the Law of
Love.+
+See the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6 and
7. Our Lord demands not only legal justice, but
sensitivity for the feelings of others in words and
actions, and the importance of motives and
thoughts.
*315. + Say the
Law of Love.
“You shall love the
Lord your God
with all your
heart, soul,
mind and strength,
and your neighbour as yourself.”++
+Repeating 100, and see its footnote.
++Luke 10:27-28. Compare Matthew
the Old Testament basis: Deuteronomy 6:5 and
Leviticus 19:18. Note the triple love: love God.
love yourself, love your neighbour as yourself
(see
313): “love yourself” is only stated implicitly in
“love your neighbour as yourself”, perhaps lest
it
make us forget God and neighbour.
Page 152
What is love?
Love is a free act
of willing what is good
for the one we love. See footnote on 189.
Who is our neighbour?
Our neighbour is all
mankind,
especially those in need near us.
See the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke
10:27-37; also Matthew 25:31-46.
*316. What
else did Jesus Christ say
about loving one another?
Jesus Christ said+:
“Love one another,
as I have loved
you.”
+John
all chapter 4.
Page 153
THE GOD OF THE
COVENANT
“I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD”
*317. Why do
the Ten Commandments
begin: “I am the Lord your
God?
The Ten
Commandments begin
“I am the Lord your
God”
to show God’s right
to command us
and our duty to
obey him,
the God of the
covenant.+
+See Exodus 24:8 and compare the New
Testament: Matthew 26:28 and the Last Supper
Discourse, John 13-17. See 59, 61, 132, 232-236.
266, 310, 357(4) and 404.
Page 154
GOD:
THE FIRST THREE
COMMANDMENTS
INTRODUCTION
*318. What
are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
Commandments about/
The 1st,
2nd and 3rd Commandments
are about our duty
to God
in thoughts+, words
and actions.
+Thoughts: beliefs, attitudes,
intentions about
God, summed up in worship.
GOD
1st COMMANDMENT
*319. What is
the 1st Commandment?
The 1st
Commandment is:-
“You shall have no
other gods
besides Me.”
GOD COMMANDS
*320. What
does God command us
in the 1st
Commandment?
In the 1st
Commandment,
God commands us
to worship him
alone.
Page 155
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*321. What
did Jesus Christ say
about the worship of God?
Jesus Christ said:-
“You shall worship
the Lord your God
and serve him
alone.’+
+See the context, his temptation,
Matthew 4:10.
Also Matthew 22:37-40.
WORSHIP
*321A. + What is
worship?
Worship is the
adoration of God
that comes from the
creature’s
awe and wonder
before the Holy One.
+Repeating 12, and see its very
important
footnote.
*321B. + How do
we worship God?
We worship God
by prayer,
sacrifice and a holy life.
+Repeating 13, see its footnote.
PRAYER
*321C. + What is
prayer?
Prayer is the
raising
of our minds and
hearts to God.
+repeating 89. revise 88-97.
*321D. + Why
should we pray to God?
We should pray to
God
to adore and thank
him,
Page 156
to ask for all our
needs
and to be sorry for
our sins.
+Repeating 92.
PRAYER TO OUR LADY,
ANGELS AND SAINTS
*322. Should
we also pray
to angels and saints?
We should also pray
to angels and
saints
as holy friends,+
asking them to pray
for us to God.
+Just as we ask our friends on earth to pray for
us. We do not give the angels and saints that
worship or adoration which is due to God alone.
Rather, we give them veneration. Some hymns use
the word “worship” somewhat loosely, just as
Your Worship and My Lord are used for judges
and bishops, and not meant to take from the
status of God.
*323. For
which angels and saints
should we have special
devotion?
We should have
special devotion+
For our Lady, our Guardian
Angel
And our patron
saints.++
+Praying to them, and so through them to God,
and imitating their example through a knowledge
of their activities – in the case of the saints, what
they did on earth, in the case of the angels, what
they do in Heaven and how it affects us on earth.
++Patron saints are one we are named after, or on
whose feast day we were born, or ones we have
adopted as our patrons.
Page 157
CRUCIFIXES AND STATUES
*324. Why do
we show respect
to the crucifix and
statues?
We show respect
to the crucifix and
statues+
to remind us of
Jesus Christ
and his angels and
saints
and to help us to
pray.
+Such images are not idols: compare
Exodus 20:4
with
SACRIFICE
*324A.+ What is
a sacrifice?
A sacrifice is an offering
of a gift to God by
a priest
on behalf of
worshippers.
+Repeating 126-136.
*324B. + Why
does Jesus Christ
give us a sacrifice to
offer?
Jesus Christ gives
us a Sacrifice to offer
because our human
nature
needs a visible
sacrifice
for our worship of
God.
+Repeating 259. Jesus Christ’s
perfect sacrifice is
the Mass revise 247-269.
HOLY LIFE
*325. What is
a holy life?
A holy life is
living in sanctifying grace,
Faith, Hope and
Charity,
obedience to God’s
Will,
and accepting
suffering and self-denial.+
Page 158
+See 175, 179 and 191. Grace produces good
works, and good works in their turn gain us
further grace. See 13 and footnote.
*326. Why
does Jesus Christ ask us
to accept suffering and practise self-denial?
Jesus Christ asks
us
to accept suffering
and practise self-denial
to make up for sins
and to take part in
our own
and the world’s
salvation.+
+”If anyone would come after me, let him take up
his cross and follow me”. Matthew 16:24-27 (also
sake, and in my flesh I make up what is lacking in
the sufferings of Christ, for the sake of his body,
which is the Church”, Colossians
Timothy 3:12; Galatians 5:24; 1 Peter 4:13-19. See
213, 260, 282 and 283 and footnote. The
teenagers’ suffering of being misunderstood is
something our Lord understands completely. He
never gave in to self-pity, which often spoils our
own offering of suffering. See 118.
GOD FORBIDS
*327. What
does God forbid
in the 1st Commandment?
In the 1st
Commandment,
God forbids
idolatry, superstition,
sacrilege,
simony++,
and sins against
and sins against
Faith, Hope and
Charity.+++
+Superstition is a corruption of religion by trusting
to charms, omens, chain letters, dreams; believing
Page 159
in fortune tellers, astrology, tarot cards, writing
curses; or dealing with the spirits of the dead by
ouija boards,
séances, and worst of all, witchcraft
and dealing with the Devil.
++Simony is buying or selling holy things for
money - named after Simon Magus,
in Acts 8;9-24.
+++Revise 181-190.
*328. What is
idolatry?
Idolatry is the
worship+ of creatures
instead of the
Creator.
Such false gods
are:-
idols, money,
pleasure, power,
myself++ or Satan.
+Worship: by setting our hearts on them, putting
our trust in them and loving them above all things.
++By sins of pride, like that of Lucifer (see 35) or
Adam and eve (see 52).
*329. What is
sacrilege?
Sacrilege is the
serious abuse+
Of holy persons,
places or things.++
+That is, grave misuse.
++Such as murdering a priest, vandalism of a
Church, or receiving the Sacraments of the
Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage or Holy Orders
while in a state of mortal sin (see 267 and Footnote).
AGAINST FAITH
*330. What
are sins against Faith?
Sin against Faith
are
doubt, ignorance
and false belief.+
Page 160
+If doubt, ignorance and false belief are not
deliberate and blameworthy, then they are not sins
(see 2020. “A thousand difficulties do not make
one doubt.” Said Cardinal Newman. But not
trying to learn what god has taught, not accepting
that there are mysteries beyond our understanding,
or proudly believing false doctrines, are sins
against Faith. See the Appendix, page 206, for
False Beliefs. Revise faith, 181-187.
*331. When
must we openly declare
our Catholic Faith?
We must openly
declare our Catholic Faith
when God’s honour
or the spiritual
good of ourselves
or others requires
it.+
+See Matthew 5:10-11;
AGAINST HOPE
*332. What
are sins against Hope?
Sins against Hope+
are
Presumption and
despair.
+Revise 188.
*333. What is
presumption?
Presumption is to
expect salvation+
without using the
means++ of grace.
+It is presumption to believe in salvation by faith
alone without charity and good works.
++See 175.
*334. What is
despair?
Despair is loss of
hope
in God and his
grace.
Page 161
AGAINST CHARITY
*335. What
sins are against Charity?
All sins are
against Charity,
especially sins of
hatred+ against God,
against ourselves
or others++,
and failure to practise Charity.
+Hatred comes from pride, anger and envy in the
Seven Deadly Sins. Revise Charity, 189.
++See 313 and 315 and footnote.
GOD’S NAME
2nd COMMANDMENT
*336. What is
the 2nd Commandment?
The 2nd
Commandment is:-
“You shall not
take+
God’s name in
vain.”
+”Take in vain” means to misuse in
speech for
some evil purpose.
GOD COMMANDS
*337. What
does God command us
in the 2nd
Commandment?
In the 2nd
Commandment,
God commands us
to speak of him and
a holy things
with respect,+
and to keep oaths
and vows.
+See ‘Heart Speak to Heart”, the Divine Praises,
No. 166. Remember to bow the head at the Holy
Name of Jesus, see 66.
Page 162
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*338. What
did Jesus Christ say
about God’s name?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Hallowed be thy
name.”
+Matthew 6:9. God’s name stands for the personal
God. “Hallowed” means blessed, glorified and
Recognized as holy (see 10 and footnote) by worship.
OATHS
*339. What is
an oath?
An oath is the
calling on God
to witness that
what we say is true
or that we will do
what we promise.+
+As in a court of law: “Do you promise to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?” “I do.”
VOWS
*340. What is
a vow?
A vow is a promise
to God
binding under sin,
to do something
especially+
pleasing to him.
+Such as the Religious Vows of chastity, obedience
and poverty. See 164.
GOD FORBIDS
*341. What
does God forbid
in the 2nd
Commandment?
In the 2nd
Commandment,
God forbids
blasphemy,
Perjury and profanity.+
Page 163
+Profanity is the irreverent use of God’s name or
the Holy Name of Jesus. Bad habits in this regard
need to be resisted strenuously. See “Heart Speaks
to Heart”. No. 168, for the Holy Name Pledge.
*342. What is
blasphemy?
Blasphemy is
cursing God+
or holy things.
+Our Lord Jesus Christ was accused of blasphemy
for claiming equality with God, see Mark
14:61-64. Cursing also means calling on God to
harm some person, place or thing – a serious
matter, see James 3:8-9.
*343. What is
perjury?
Perjury is the
taking of a false oath
or the breaking of
a true one.
GOD’S DAY
3RD COMMANDMENT
*344. What is
the 3rd Commandment?
The 3rd
Commandment is:-
“Remember to keep
holy
the Sabbath Day.”+
Sabbath means “rest”, not “seventh”. The rest
Day was kept by the Jews on the seventh day of
The week, Saturday, to remember how the Creator
“rested” after the six days of creation (Genesis
2:2-3), and to imitate his rest by not working and
to keep the day sacred by worship. Compare
Exodus
Latter links the Sabbath to the Exodus from
Page 164
GOD COMMANDS
*345. What
does God command us
in the 3rd
Commandment?
In the 3rd
Commandment,
God+ commands us
to give him public
worship
each week on the
Lord’s Day.
+Only in the 3rd Commandment does God give
details over and above the natural moral law (see
311 and 312 and footnotes), and only in this detail
has the Church made a change, by Christ’s
authority. See 347.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*346. What did
Jesus Christ say
about the Lord’s Day?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“The Sabbath was
made for man,
not man for the
Sabbath,
and the Son of Man
is Lord
even of the
Sabbath.”
+Mark
THE CHRISTIAN SUNDAY
*347. Why has
the Church
made Sunday our weekly
holy day?
The Church has made
Sunday
our weekly holy day
because Jesus
Christ rose from the dead
on Easter Sunday.+
+See Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2. Sunday is the
first day of the week, the day on which the light
was created (Genesis 1:3-5) and also the day on
which the Holy Spirit came in power. See “Heart
Speaks to Heart”, No. 50. Page
165
*348. What
should Catholics
do on Sundays?
On Sundays,
Catholic should
worship God by the
Sacrifice of the Mass+
and enjoy
recreation from work.++
+Worship should be the first priority, not to be
got out of the way as quickly as possible or just
squeezed in as a left-over activity. The Vigil Mass
on Saturday night lets us put the Mass first in
time; the early morning Mass makes it the first
activity on rising from sleep; the late morning
Mass makes it the central act of the day; the
Sunday evening Mass makes it a climax of Sunday
and a remembrance of John
24:28-30. For the Sunday obligation, see 357(1).
++Recreation means re-creating our lives. God
meant Sunday to be enjoyed and workers to be
protected from exploitation, whether from others
or themselves. Our word “holiday” comes from
“holyday”, showing the recreational aspect.
Works of mercy are especially appropriate on
Sundays: see Matthew 12:10-12 and “Heart Speaks
to Heart”, Nos. 94-95.
GOD FORBIDS
*349. What
does God forbid
in the 3rd
Commandment?
In 3rd
Commandment,
God forbids
the missing of
weekly worship+
and continuing
weekday work
without necessity.
+See 357(1).
Page 166
NEIGHBOUR:
THE LAST SEVEN
COMMANDMENTS
INTRODUCTION
*350. What
does the 4th Commandment
introduce?
The 4th
Commandment introduces
The last seven
Commandments.
By keeping it, we
learn out duty
Towards human life,
marriage and property.
DUTY TO PARENTS AND
OTHERS
4TH COMMANDMENT
*351.What is
the 4th Commandment?
The 4th
Commandment is:-
“Honour your father and mother.’
GOD COMMANDS
*352. What
does God command us
in the 4th
Commandment?
In the 4th
Commandment,
God commands us
to love, respect,
obey+ and care for
our parents and to
do our duty.++
Page 167
+To obey in all that is not sinful. When we are
grown up, it is a matter of caring for parents in
their old age, not of obeying them as we did when
children, See Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21.
++Under this commandment are grouped parents’
duties to their children, children’s duties to
teachers at school, the duties of Catholics to the
Church, of citizens to their country and of each
Person to the duties of his or her vocation in life.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*353. What
did Jesus Christ say
about our duties to
others?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Do to others
what you would like
them
to do to you.”
+Matthew 7:12. This is called the GOLDEN RULE
and is accepted by all religions. Note that Jesus
Christ repeated the exact wording of the 4th
Commandment in Matthew 19:19.
PARENTS’DUTIES
*354. What
are parents’ duties
to their children?
Parents’ duties to
their children
are to live them by
providing
food and clothing,
home++ and discipline,
religion and
education.
+For the Laws of the Church on Marriage and
Family, see 357(6).
++A home is a community of love, where the first
duty of parents to their children is that parents
love each other, teaching by example.
Page 168
FAMILY LIFE
*355. Whose
love do Christian parents
imitate in their family
life?
In their family
life, Christian parents
imitate the love
between the Three
Divine Persons,+
between Christ and
his Church++
and of Mary and
Joseph for Jesus.+++
+See 146.
++See 152, 298-199/
+++See 77.
*356. To
whom else
do we have a family duty?
We have a family
duty
to the
and our country.++
to love, respect,
obey and care for
them.+++
+”
Hebrews 13:17.
++”Fatherland”, “Motherland”, and its authority:
1 Peter 2:13-17. Patriotism is part of the 4th
Commandment.
+++See “Heart Speaks to Heart”, Nos.168: “I
pledge my support to all lawful authority, both
civil and religious…”
Page 169
THE LAWS OF THE CHURCH
*357. What
are the chief Laws
of the Church?
The chief Laws of
the Church
are about Sunday
Mass,
Friday self-denial,
Easter Confession
and Communion,
Marriage,
and the support of
the priests.
CHILDREN SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED ABOUT
EACH OF THESE POINTS;
(1) Catholics must take part (see 264 and footnote) in the
offering
of Mass every Sunday and on the four holidays of’
obligation (in
Assumption,
All Saints’ Day. They are
excused
by sickness, care of the sick, distance and
unavoidable
work. They are encouraged to take part in
weekday
Mass, especially on days of special devotion:
Ash
Wednesday, all of Lent, Holy Thursday, the Good
Friday
ceremony, All Souls’ Day, and in Advent.
(2) Catholics must practise
self-denial on Fridays, either
by
abstinence from flesh meat or some other penance of
their
own choosing. This binds those aged 14 years and
over.
Other self-imposed penances are encouraged.
perhaps
after guidance from a confessor, (see 282 and
326).
Special rules apply in Lent: fasting from food on
Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday for those aged 21 years
and not
yet 59 years, and compulsory abstinence from
meat
on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for those 14
years and
over. In Lent, all are exhorted to perform
voluntary
penances. For the Law of Fasting before Holy
Communion,
see 267(3)
Page 170
(3) Catholics must confess their sins at least once a
year,
if
in mortal sin. They are encouraged to receive the
Sacrament
of Penance frequently, so as to avoid mortal
sin, to
grow in grace and virtue, and to be properly
prepared
for frequent Holy Communion.
(4) Catholic must receive Holy Communion for Easter,
at
least between Ash Wednesday and Trinity Sunday, and
when
in danger of death (see 290). They are encouraged
to
receive frequently after careful preparation, and to
make
Holy Week and the Easter Vigil the climax of their
Christian
life, a time of new commitment in their
Personal
covenant with God (see 404).
(5) Catholics must contribute to the support of their
pastors
– at least, those earning regular wages should
contribute
to the first collection on Sundays, and to the
Christmas
and Easter Dues, and make a donation (called
a stole
fee) at Baptisms and Marriages. They are exhorted
to give
to their Parish, to Catholic Schools, Missions and
other
Charitable works in direct giving envelopes and
other
special collections.
(6) Catholics must marry before the priest and two
witnesses,
have their children baptized in the Catholic
Church
and give them a Catholic upbringing. They are
Strongly
encouraged to marry a Catholic, to have a
Nuptial
Mass, to send their children to Catholic Schools,
to have
family prayers, especially the Rosary, and Bible
practise the lay apostolate (see 157), to promote the
ecumenical
movement and the conversion of others to
Catholicism.
NOTE:
These Laws of the Church are determined for
each
country by its National
Conference of Bishops.
They
are an application of the Church’s Code of Canon
Law,
hence there will be some variation from one
Country
to another. They bind both laity and priests to
The
same or related obligations.
THE
SIX CHIEF LAWS OF THE CHURCH IMPOSE
A
SERIOUS OBLIGATION – see 203 and footnote.
Page 171
PATRIOTISM
*358. What is
our duty
to our country?
Our duty to our
country
is to obey lawful
authority+
and to work for a
society
based on truth,
justice++ and love.
+”Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
and to God the things that are God’s”, Matthew
22:21. Authority becomes unlawful if it conflicts
with God’s Laws. Civil duties include paying
taxes, defending the country in a just war, voting
in elections, etc., See Titus 3:1.
++Justice includes all basic human rights: the right
to life (hence adoption, not abortion),the right to
marry and have a family, the right to own private
property, the right to work and to a living wage,
the right to found and join unions and political
parties and to take corporate action consistent
with the rights of others, the right to education
chosen by parents.
Christians should join with others of goodwill in
The building of a better world: for the recognition
of duty to God, to the underprivileged in God’s
human family, the starving, sick and homeless,
including those in needier countries. Love means
the brotherhood of mankind under the Fatherhood
of God. See the Appendix on Lay Apostolate. Page 200.
GOD FORBIDS
*359. What
does God forbid
in the 4th
Commandment?
In the 4th
Commandment,
God forbids
disobedience
and any neglect of
duty to others
or of our vocation
in life. Page 172
ACTIONS
CONCERNING LIFE,
MARRIAGE AND
PROPERTY
INTRODUCTION TO THE
5TH, 6TH
AND 7TH
COMMANDMENTS
*360. What
are the 5th, 6th and 7th
Commandments about?
The 5th,
6th and 7th Commandments
are about our
duties
to ourselves and
others
in actions
concerning
human life,
marriage and property.
HUMAN LIFE
5th COMMANDMENT
*361. What is
the 5th Commandments?
The 5th
Commandment is:-
“You shall not
murder”.+
+Murder
is the unjust killing of a human being.
Page 173
GOD COMMANDS
*362. What
does God command us
in the 5th
Commandment?
In the 5th
Commandment,
God commands us
to respect human
life and health
by care and
kindness.+
+See the Appendix, page 200.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*363. What
did Jesus Christ say
about our enemies?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Love your enemies
and pray for those
who persecute you.”
+Matthew
repeated the exact wording of the 5th
Commandment in Matthew 19:18.
GOD FORBIDS
*364. What
does God forbid
in the 5th
Commandment?
In the 5th
Commandment,
God forbids murder+
and injury,
hatred++ and anger,
getting drunk or
drugged,+++
and leading others
into sin.++++
+Murder includes abortion, euthanasia, suicide and
war crimes.
++Hatred, see 1 John
5:22. These include revenge, religious bigotry,
racism, class warfare. Hatred and anger can also
be sins of thought, without words or deeds. Anger
includes resentment and harbouring bitterness.
+++Drunkenness and drugs are wrong because(1) Page 174
they destroy our self-control over our thoughts,
words and actions, and are thus an escape from
the responsibility of free will: (2) they risk injury
to others, as when driving under the influence of
alcohol or marihuana; and (3) they injure bodily
health. Reason (1) is an important moral reason
almost completely neglected in the discussion on
this subject.
++++Leading others into sin is called scandal (see
Matthew 18:7). It is “spiritual murder” of the life
of grace in the soul, hence our Lord called Satan a
murderer, John 8:44. In a lesser degree it includes
all bad example.
RESTITUTION
*365. What is
restitution
for sins against the 5th
Commandment?
Restitution is our
duty++
of repairing the
damage done
to those we have
injured.
+Restitution: making up for the damage done.
++Sins against the 5th Commandment can only be
forgiven if there is a sincere intention of making
whatever restitution is possible, e.g., kindness for
anger, hospital bills for grievous bodily harm, etc.
Restitution may also be owing to dependents. See 385.
DEFENCE
*366. When is
it right to kill?
It is right to
kill+ an aggressor
in self-defence,
to protect the life
of the innocent
and in defence of one’s country.
+This killing is not murder, but love for one’s
innocent neighbour or legitimate self-love. See
358
for just war.
Page 175
SUPREME SACRIFICE
*367. What
did Jesus Christ say
about giving our lives for
others?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“No one can have
grater love
than to lay down
his life
for his friends.”
+John 15:13. He said this about himself. Also
soldiers in a just war are said to have paid the
supreme sacrifice. It would not be worth living if
there were not things worth dying for: “Better Red
than dead” said Bertrand Russell about
surrendering to Communism; “Better dead than a
scoundrel”, was Solzhenitzyn’s reply.
ANIMALS
*368. Do we
have a duty about animals?
We have a duty to
ourselves
to avoid cruelty to
animals
because God has
made us their masters.+
+Animals do not have a “right to life” because
they are not persons with spiritual souls. If they
were, we could not kill them in order to eat them.
See 40.
MARRIAGE
Revise
the Sacrament of Marriage, 296-304, before
Beginning
this section.
6TH COMMANDMENT
*369. What is
the 6th Commandment?
The 6th
Commandment is:-
“You shall cot commit adultery.”
Page 176
GOD COMMANDS
*370. What
does God command us
in the 6th
Commandment?
In the 6th
Commandment,
God commands us
to respect marriage
by being pure+
in looks, words and
actions.
+Being pure, or purity, is also called chastity.
Don’t confuse with charity. See “Heart Speaks to
Heart’, No. 143.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*371. What
did Jesus Christ say
about marriage?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“What God has
joined,
men must not
divide.”
+Mark 10:9. Not only are adultery and divorce
forbidden, but so also is fornication, because they
should have been “joined by God”. Jesus Christ
repeated the exact wording of the 6th
Commandment in Matthew 19:18.
NOTE FOR PARENTS
The 6th
Commandment can be explained to younger
children
without details on human sexuality. Adultery is
being a
traitor to one’s true wife or husband by going off
with
another partner and acting as if one were married to
that
other person. In this sense, purity means the control
of
thoughts, looks, words and actions so that husband
and
wife will be loyal and loving to each other. This will
suffice
for the essential (*) questions, 369, 370 and 377.
BEFORE TREATING THE REMAINING QUESTIONS
372-376 and 378, PARENTS SHOULD READ THE
APPENDIX ON EDUCATION IN PURITY, page 207.
Page 177
PURITY
*372. What is
purity for married people?
Purity for married
people
is using their
sexual powers
to show their
special love for each other
and, if God so
wills, to have children.+
+See Genesis 1:27-28;
Both purposes of marriage are given their proper
Recognition. The primary purpose of marriage,
Namely children, will not always be the first purpose
In the minds of a married couple.
*373. What is
purity for single people?
Purity for single
people
is spiritual growth
in manhood or womanhood
by self-control+
and not using one’s
sexual powers.
+Self-control requires self-restraint and self-denial.
It brings a wholeness (and wholesomeness) to their
characters and develops the dignity of their
masculinity and femininity. This is called integrity,
or “purity of heart”,. See Matthew 5:8. Self-
control and purity of heart are, of course, also
required for married people.
*374. Why is
purity
a preparation for
marriage?
Purity is a
preparation for marriage
because people
trying to practise purity
have a special
love+
to offer to each
other.
+See “Heart Speaks to Heart”. No.
144.
Page 178
*375. How do
we preserve our purity,
whether married or single?
We preserve our
purity by modesty+,
prayer++ and
self-denial,
sensible
recreations
and belief in God’s
plan
of human sexuality.
+See 396. This includes the avoiding of all
occasions of sin.
++Prayer in the general sense including devotion to
Jesus and Mary, regular and well-prepared
Confessions and Communions.
*376. Why is
consecrated virginity+
even more noble than
marriage?
Consecrated
virginity
is even more noble
than marriage
because it is a
spiritual marriage
with God.++
+Virginity means not using the sexual powers.
++All should humbly accept that God calls people
to various vocations in life, because all are needed
and they depend on each other. In particular
individuals, of course, it is quite possible for
holiness had charity to be nobler in married
people. See Matthew 19:10-12; 1 Corinthians 7:7;
and “Heart Speaks to Heart”, No. 147. See 164
and footnote for virginity as a consecration to
God, and 294 footnote.
GOD FORBIDS
*377. What
does God forbid
in the 6th
Commandment?
In the 6th
Commandment,
God forbids
adultery+ and fornication++,
and all impure+++
looks, words and actions
Page 179
+Adultery is sexual intercourse between man and
woman when one or both are already married to
someone else. It is an injustice to their true
partner(s) and a direct breaking of their marriage vows.
++Fornication is sexual intercourse between an
unmarried man and woman. See Matthew 15:19. It
is still fornication if they intend to get married or
are engaged (pre-marital sex), or if they are living
together in a so-called trial marriage.
+++Impurity is also called lust, one of the Seven
Deadly Sins. Impurity means letting the sexual
powers of the body control our conduct, or using
them in some way against God’s plan. Impure
actions which misuse the sexual powers are
contraception, self-abuse (masturbation) and
homosexuality.
*378. Why
does Jesus Christ
forbid divorce and
re-marriage?
Jesus Christ
forbids
divorce and
re-marriage
because it is
adultery+
and damaging to
family life.
+See Mark 10:1-12. In special circumstances, the
Church permits a civil divorce for the sake of
Legally settling the custody of children and
Property, regarding it as a separation, but without
Any right to re-marry. “Till death do us part”, see
296 and 298 and footnotes. The Church’s
Marriage Court (each Diocese has one) investigates
marriages that have broken down, and sometimes
discovers that no real marriage existed because of
defects at the time of the ceremony. It then grants
an annulment. There are also dissolutions: the
Pauline and Petrine privileges concerning non-
Page 180
sacramental marriages (see 1 Corinthians
Matthew 16:19) and for non-consummation. It is
very important that Christians do not make rash
judgements about their neighbour’s state of soul in
these matters, but leave judgement to God.
PROPERTY
7TH COMMANDMENT
*379. What is
the 7th Commandment?
In the 7th
Commandment is
“You shall not
steal.
GOD COMMANDS
*380. What
does God Command us
in the 7th
Commandment?
In the 7th
Commandment,
God commands us
to respect the
property of others
by being honest.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*381. What
did Jesus Christ say
about being generous
with our property?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“It is more blessed
to give
than to receive.
+Acts
recorded in the written Gospels. Jesus Christ
repeated the exact wording of the 7th
Commandment in Matthew 19:18.
Page 181
THE WORLD AND WORK
*382. How
should
the earth’s resources+
and public property be
used?
The earth’s
resources
and public property
should be used and
preserved
as a loan held in
trust
from God and
society.
+The natural resources of the earth, including air,
water, animals, trees, etc. See 16 and 368.
*383. What
are the duties
of employers and
employees?
The duties of
employers
are to provide
proper wages and conditions,
and of employees
to do honest work.
Page 182
GOD FORBIDS
*384. What
does God forbid
in the 7th
Commandment?
In the 7th
Commandment,
God forbids
stealing,+
vandalism,
cheating,
not paying debts,
loafing at work++
and not paying
proper wages.+++
+Stealing: from individuals, shops, business, the
government. However, if someone is starving, it is
not stealing to take food to support life, because
its owner is bound in justice to give it to save life.
++Work: for children, means school and
homework.
+++See James 5:4.
RESTITUTION
*385. What is
restitution
for sins against the 7th
Commandment?
Restitution+ is our
duty
of returning to
others
what has been
stolen
or unjustly++ kept.
+Restitution: giving back what was taken. As for
365, sins against the 7th Commandment can only
be forgiven if there is a sincere intention of
making whatever restitution is possible.
++Unfairly.
Page 183
WORDS AND
THOUGHTS
CONCERNING LIFE,
MARRIAGE AND
PROPERTY
INTRODUCTION TO THE
8TH, 9TH
AND 10TH
COMMANDMENTS
*386. What
are the 8th, 9th and 10th
Commandment about?
The 8th,
9th and 10th Commandments
are about our
duties
to ourselves and
others
in words,
in thoughts+ about
marriage
and in thoughts+
about property.
+Thoughts: particularly intentions
and desires.
TRUTHFUL WORDS
8TH COMMANDMENT
*387. What is
the 8th Commandment?
The 8th
Commandment is:-
“You shall not bear
false witness
against your neighbour.”
Page 184
GOD COMMANDS
*388. What
does God command us
in the 8th
Commandment?
In the 8th
Commandment,
God commands us
to respect the
reputation of others
by being truthful
and kind+ in speech.
+Kind: to interpret our neighbour’s conduct in
the
best possible way, and to be silent if nothing kind
can be said.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*389. What
did Jesus Christ say
about being a witness to
the truth?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“I have come into
this world
to bear witness to
the truth.”
+John
apostle that is truthfulness in ordinary matters is
a powerful support for his witness to religious
truth. Jesus Christ repeated the exact wording of
the 8th Commandment in Matthew 19:18.
GOD FORBIDS
*390. What does
God forbid
in the 8th
Commandment?
In the 8th
Commandment,
God forbids lies+
and rash judgements,++
Calumny and
detraction.
+Lies made in the name of God are perjury, see
341 and 343. Breaking promises and telling secrets
are also lies in retrospect.
++Rash judgements can be in words or thoughts,
and includes insults. See Matthew 7:1; 12:36-37;
James 3:1-12.
Page 185
*391. What is
calumny?
Calumny is a lie
which injures or
destroys
another’s
reputation.
+Calumny is also called slander.
*392. What is
detraction?
Detraction is
telling the truth
about another’s
faults
without necessity.
RESTITUTION
*392A.+ What is
restitution
for sins against the 8th
Commandment?
Restitution++ is
our duty
of repairing the
damage done
to those we have injured.
+Repeating 365. see also 385.
++Sins against the 8th Commandment can only be
forgiven if there is a sincere intention of making
whatever restitution is possible, e.g., admitting the
truth and apologizing for lies of calumny, or
perhaps leveling up detraction with praise for
whatever has been good.
PURE THOUGHTS
9TH COMMANDMENT
*393. What is
the 9th Commandment?
The 9th
Commandment is:-
“You shall not
cover+
your neighbour’s wife.”++
+Covet: have an evil desire for, out of lust.
++”You shall not covet your neighbour’s
husband” is understood.
Page 186
GOD COMMANDS
*394. What
does God command us
in the 9th
Commandment?
In the 9th
Commandment,
God command us
to respect marriage
by being pure in
thoughts
and by modesty.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*395. What
did Jesus Christ say
about impure thoughts?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Everyone who looks
at a woman lustfully
has already
committed adultery with her
in his heart.”
+Matthew 5:28.
MODESTY
*396. What is
modesty?
Modesty+ is having
proper respect
for ourselves and
for others,
for our bodies,
and for our own and
the opposite sex.
+Modesty is the foundation for both purity and
humility: see “Heart Speaks to Heart”, No. 142.
It is an attitude of mind expressed in dress,
posture, conversation, looks, touches, and
particularly as these things affect others. Because
of original sin, modesty normally requires us to
wear clothes, out of consideration for the feelings
of others and respect for ourselves. Modesty sets
Page 187
up outer defences for purity in thought, look,
word and action, and so avoids all occasions of sin
against purity. The outward expressions of
modesty are relative to culture and circumstances,
but the inner attitudes are absolute: we must
always have respect for ourself and our body,
for
others, and for our own and the opposite sex.
GOD FORBIDS
*397. What
does God forbid
in the 9th
Commandment?
In the 9th
Commandment,
God forbids
deliberate+ impure
thoughts
and immodest
TV-viewing,
books, pictures,
amusements,
dress and behaviour.
+Some impure thoughts are not deliberate. These
are due to our fallen nature: the special privilege
of self-control granted to Adam and Eve (see 46,
53 and 54) was not restored with grace. As long as
impure thoughts are resisted and no pleasure is
taken in them there is no sin. They are best
combated by decent reading, restricted TV,
viewing and wholesome recreations.
GENEROUS THOUGHTS
10TH
COMMANDMENT
*398. What is
the 10th Commandment?
The 10th
Commandment is:-
“You shall not
covet+
your neighbour’s goods.”
+Covet: have an evil desire for,
our of envy, greed
and discontent.
Page 188
GOD COMMANDS
*399. What
does God command us
in the 10th
Commandment?
In the 10th
Commandment,
God commands as
to be at peace
within ourselves
about our own and
other’s property.+
+See Matthew 6:25-34; Hebrews 13:5.
JESUS CHRIST’S TEACHING
*400. What
did Jesus Christ say
about not being greedy?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Beware of being
greedy,
for a man’s life
does not consist
in his riches and
possessions.”
+Luke 12:15.
GOD FORBIDS
*401. What
does God forbid
in the 10th
Commandment?
In the 10th
Commandment,
God forbids envy,+
greed++ and
discontent.
+See 51.
++Greed is also called covetousness and avarice.
See Colossians 3:5; James 4:2. Read the history of
Naboth’s Vineyard, I
Kings 21:1-29, for one sin
Leading to another, starting with greed and envy.
Page 189
SINS OF THE HEART
*402. What
did Jesus Christ say
about the sins of the
heart?
Jesus Christ
said+:-
“Out of the heart
come evil thoughts:
murder, adultery,
fornication,
theft,
false-witness, slander.”
+Matthew 15:19. Also Colossians
3:5.
MORAL COWARDICE
*403. What is
moral cowardice?
Moral cowardice+ is
being afraid
to do what is right
because of what
others say or think.
+Moral cowardice is also known as peer group
pressure, and afflicts most of us in some shape or
form from childhood onwards. It is also known as
“human respect”, not the respect of modesty (see
396), but that false respect for other when they are
evil, see 267(2) footnote. Note how
accused St. Peter of it, see Galatians 2:11-14,
though possible St. Peter was only being prudent
and St, Paul was making rash judgements!
Page 190
PERSONAL
COVENANT+
*404. On your
honour,
what do you promise God?
On my honour,
I promise that I
will do my best
to be God’s
glory-giver:-
a son/daughter of
the Father,
a cross-bearer with
Jesus Christ,
my Saviour and Friend,
with the Holy
Spirit
as my Helper and
Guide.
I reject Satan, sin
and selfishness.
I will be a child
of Mary and the Church,
a Good Samaritan to
my neighbour
and (faithful to
the duties
of my vocation in
life
to which it has
pleased God to call me.
+”What does God require of us?
That we act justly, love as he does
and walk humbly with our God!”, Micah 6:8
“Fill your lives with whatever is true,
honourable, right and
just,
good, pure, beautiful, noble,
whatever is excellent and worthy of praise”,
Philippians 4:8-9 (see also Galatians
“We are God’s workmanship.
God’s work of art,
created in Christ Jesus for good works”.
Ephesians 2:10. See Covenant in the index. On
Knowing our vocation in life, see
“Heart Speaks to
Heart”, No. 130, and the Appendix, page 203.
Page 191