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LOVE OF GODTHE FIRST THREE COMMANDMENTS

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INTRODUCTION

GOD’S COMMANDMENTS

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They set out the principles of moral life

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They are but One Law of Love

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I John 4:20

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (1 Jn 4:20). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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Romans 13:9-10

• 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, (namely) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

• 10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Ro 13:9). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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CCC 2055

2055 When someone asks him, "Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?" Jesus replies: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets." The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love, the fullness of the Law…

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They do not limit but protect freedom

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Jesus came not to destroy the law of the prophets but to fulfill it

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Mark 7:15-23• 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that

person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

• 17 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.

• 18 He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,

• 19 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

• 20 “But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.• 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil

thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,• 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy,

blasphemy, arrogance, folly.• 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”

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Matthew 5:20

20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Mt 5:20). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.

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Positively Stated

Worship God alone

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Matthew 4:10

At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan! It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’”


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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.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Ro 12:1). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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Negatively stated

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

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Exodus 20:3-5

• 3 You shall not have other gods besides me.• 4 You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the

shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;

• 5 you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation;

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Ex 20:3). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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The Catholic practice of using Images and Statues is not Idolatry

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Exodus 25:18

Make two cherubim of beaten gold for the two ends of the propitiatory,

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Ex 25:18). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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Numbers 21:5-9• 5 the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you

brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

• 6 In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died.

• 7 Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people,

• 8 and the LORD said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, he will recover.”

• 9 Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he recovered.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Nu 21:5). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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CCC 2132

2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it." The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:– Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves,

considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.

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CCC 2113

2113 ... Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example, satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc. Jesus says, "You cannot serve God and mammon."

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Sins Against the First Commandment

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CCC 2111 (Superstition)

2111 … To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.

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Polytheism

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CCC 2116 (Divination)

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

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CCC 2117 (Magic or Sorcery)

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

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CCC 2119 (Tempting God)

2119 Tempting God consists in putting his goodness and almighty power to the test by word or deed.

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CCC 2120 (Sacrilege)

2120 Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God. Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us.

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CCC 2121 (Simony)

2121 Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.

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Atheism

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CCC 2127 (Agnosticism)

2127 Agnosticism assumes a number of forms. In certain cases the agnostic refrains from denying God; instead he postulates the existence of a transcendent being which is incapable of revealing itself, and about which nothing can be said. In other cases, the agnostic makes no judgment about God's existence, declaring it impossible to prove, or even to affirm or deny.

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THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

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Positively stated

Bear witness and confess the faith

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CCC 2145

2145 The faithful should bear witness to the Lord's name by confessing the faith without giving way to fear…

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Negatively Stated

“Thou shall not take

the name of the Lord thy God in vain”

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CCC 2143

2143 … "The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.

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Sins Against the Second Commandment

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CCC 2146 (Abuse of God’s Name)

2146 The second commandment forbids the abuse of God's name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints.

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CCC 2147(Promises Made in God’s Name)

2147 Promises made to others in God's name engage the divine honor, fidelity, truthfulness, and authority. They must be respected in justice. To be unfaithful to them is to misuse God's name and in some way to make God out to be a liar.

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CCC 2148 (Blasphemy)

• 2148 Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment. It consists in uttering against God - inwardly or outwardly - words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; in misusing God's name…The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things.

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False Oaths

• CCC 2149

• CCC 2154

• Mt. 5:34 & 37

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CCC 2149 (False Oaths)

2149 Oaths which misuse God's name, though without the intention of blasphemy, show lack of respect for the Lord. The second commandment also forbids magical use of the divine name.– [God's] name is great when spoken with

respect for the greatness of his majesty. God's name is holy when said with veneration and fear of offending him.

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CCC 2154 (False Oaths)

• 2154 Following St. Paul, the tradition of the Church has understood Jesus' words as not excluding oaths made for grave and right reasons (for example, in court). "An oath, that is the invocation of the divine name as a witness to truth, cannot be taken unless in truth, in judgment, and in justice."

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Matthew 5:34 & 37 (False Oaths)

• 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

• 37 Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.


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THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

“Remember Thou

Keep Holy the Lord’s Day”

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Purposes of the Sabbath

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CCC 2171 (To Set It Apart for God)

2171… The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.

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To Provide Rest from Works

• CCC 2172

• CCC 2173

• CCC 2184-85

• CCC 2186

• CCC 2187

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CCC 2172 (Rest)

• 2172 … The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.

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CCC 2173 (Rest)

2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day. He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God. "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

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CCC 2184 (Rest)

2184 Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done," human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.

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CCC 2185 (Rest)

2185 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.– The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity

of charity accepts just work.

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CCC 2186 (Rest)

2186 … Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.

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CCC 2187 (Rest)

2187 … Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure.

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Doing Good Work on Sabbath

• Luke 6:6-10

• Luke 13:10-17

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Luke 6:6-10 (Good Work)• 6 On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught, and

there was a man there whose right hand was withered.• 7 The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he

would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.

• 8 But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there.

• 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”

• 10 Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored.

• Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Board of Trustees, Catholic Church. National Conference of Catholic Bishops, & United States Catholic Conference. Administrative Board. (1996, c1986). The New American Bible : Translated from the original languages with critical use of all the ancient sources and the revised New Testament (Lk 6:6). Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.

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Luke 13:10-17 (Good Work)• 10 He was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.• 11 And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a

spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.• 12 When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set

free of your infirmity.”• 13 He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified

God.• 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the

sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”

• 15 The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering?

• 16 This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?”

• 17 When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

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“The Lord’s Day”

Our Sabbath is Sunday

CCC 2174

CCC 2175

CCC 2176

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CCC 2174 (Sunday)

2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week." Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath, it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) - Sunday:– We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the

Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.

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CCC 2175 (Sunday)

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:– Those who lived according to the old order of things

have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.

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CCC 2176 (Sunday)

2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all." Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

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