Chapter 7Our Relationship

with God

Vocabulary

fidelity – faithful presence; faithfulness to a person or cause. Also known as loyalty, commitment, trustworthiness, devotion, allegiance, or keeping one’s word

Decalogue – “ten words”; the Ten Commandments

Notes

Introduction•Fidelity = most important rule

of loving & lasting relationships (the glue of relationships)

•Fidelity helps relationships survive good and bad times

•All relationships require effort from both sides

•If both people are not faithful to the rules of relationship, the love between them can be lost

Love and Promises•Love has responsibilities

•When we love someone, we keep our promises to them

•We show our love through everyday actions & make sacrifices for the relationship

•Forgiveness = another important relationship rule

•Our relationship with God is also full of love & promises

Love and Promises (ctd.)•God always willing to forgive

•During Mass, we publicly admit that we have not been faithful & praise God for his mercy

•God = loving parent; we can always rely on his unconditional love

•Even though God will always forgive, we still have a responsibility to keep our promises

God Always Cares for Us

•After Israelites escaped from Egypt, they continued their journey of faith

•They didn’t always understand their relationship with God

•They praised God for his miracles, but complained when their food started to run out

•“Better to be a slave in Egypt than to die of hunger in this desert!”

God Always Cares for Us (ctd.)

•Food ran out God sent manna (fine, flaky bread) & quails for them to eat

•Water ran out God told Moses to strike a rock, water flowed out

•Israelites expected Moses to solve all their problems

Rules from God•God wanted Israelites to be holy, understand their relationships with God & each other

•At Mount Sinai, God called Moses up the mountain to receive the law of the covenant 10 Commandments

•Commandments 1-3 = our relationship with God

•Commandments 4-10 = our relationships with each other

Rules from God (ctd.)•God sent commandments to

restore Israelites’ relationships with each other & with him

•Following 10 Commandments helps improve & preserve our relationship with God & others

10 Commandments1.I am the Lord your God. You

shall not have other gods before me.

2.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain

3.Remember to keep holy the Sabbath.

4.Honor your father and mother.

5.You shall not kill

6.You shall not commit adultery.

10 Commandments (ctd.)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.

Our Promised Land• God gave 10 Commandments to

free ancestors from slavery of sin

• By following them, we grow in our relationship with God

• Can be found in Books of Exodus and Deuteronomy

• Called to respect holiness of Lord & see holiness in themselves (Israelites)

• Israelites continued to break these rules

Our Promised Land (ctd.)• We too break rules of

relationship

• Depend on God’s forgiveness to fix what we have broken

• Israelites’ covenant with God led them to promised land after 40 years in desert

• New covenant through Jesus promises us place in God’s kingdom

• Walking by faith will get us to kingdom

Our Promised Land (ctd.)• Jesus’ teachings began with 10

Commandments

• Jesus helps us understand full meaning of Decalogue

• Jesus added to Decalogue

• New commandment at Last Supper: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another”

Our Promised Land (ctd.)• Words of Decalogue are short;

Jesus explained in more detail

Trust in God• God always faithful to us

• Sometimes we have trouble trusting, especially when times are tough

• Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila can help us trust more

St. Teresa of Avila• 1515-1582

• Founded religious community of Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites lives of prayer, silence, fasting

• St. Teresa did not always feel close to God but still trusted him

• Many writings about spiritual life; called doctor of the Church (great teacher of faith)

Prayer of St. Teresa Prayer of St. Teresa ofof ÁÁvilavila

Let nothing trouble youLet nothing trouble you

Let nothing terrify youLet nothing terrify you

All will passAll will pass

God does not changeGod does not change

Patience achieves Patience achieves everythingeverything

He who has God lacks He who has God lacks nothingnothing

God alone is sufficientGod alone is sufficient