Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

We only have two more Commandments to go in our series on the 10 Commandments, the 2^nd and the 1^st.   Are we saving the best for last?   We shall see!

Today, we will discuss, the 2^nd Commandment,

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

Among all the things most precious to us is our name.   Our name is a synopsis of all we are, from our exteriors, all the way down to the deepest part of our being.   Having a name in good standing is something we value.   We rightly expect our name to be good and respected.  We read in the Catechism (#2158):  God calls each one by name. Everyone's name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.

If it is right, proper, and good to respect human names, how much even more so is it to respect the name of God?   This Commandment prescribes just that, respect for God’s holy name.  The Catechism (#2143) has some beautiful words about the holy name of God, and how we must treat it: Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. "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.   We cannot use the name of God, Jesus Christ, and even the names of those who followed him most closely, Mary and the Saints, except in the manner described above; to bless, praise, and glorify it. 

Scripture speaks glowingly of the name of God:

He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Phillipians 2:8-10)

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people, and ancients, hear: If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole: Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man standeth here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other Name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:8-12)

We can and must as Christians speak the name of God in bearing witness to all he has done for us, and for all mankind; this is glorifying God.   Evangelization must always be done in the name of Jesus.  

When we invoke the name of God with reverence, good things happen for us:

...Amen, amen I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in My Name, He will give it you. Hitherto you have not asked any thing in My Name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24)

This Commandment forbids the abuse of God’s name.   The major example of this is blasphemy.  The Catechism (#2148) describes blasphemy this way:  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. St. James condemns those "who blaspheme that honorable name [of Jesus] by which you are called."⁷⁸ The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things. It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices, to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God's name to commit a crime can provoke others to repudiate religion. Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and his holy name. It is in itself a grave sin.   Swearing or saying something untrue about God are the prime instances of this that most of us will fall into, but there are other examples we see above that we can see throughout the world today, especially terrorism, where the name of God is often used to justify of violence. 

An oath is an invocation of God’s name to bear witness to the truth.  A false oath, therefore, is a grave offense against this Commandment because it calls on God to be witness to a lie.   When a person makes a promise under oath with no intention to keep it, it is called perjury. 

Besides our own names, and the name of God, both of which are sacred, and must be spoken only of with honor and respect, we also have baptismal names.    In fact, the Sacrament of Baptism is administered In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.   Other Sacraments as well as the Sign of the Cross, begins with these holy and powerful words, as well.  As we showed above with a few references from Scripture, there is indeed power in the name of God.   We must regularly speak the name of God, as we said earlier, to praise, bless, and glorify Him.  And when we do, we in turn will be blessed in ways beyond imagining:

"Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:  I will protect him because he hath known My Name." (Psalm 90:14)

"I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name." (Revelation 3:8)

In fact, the only way to enter heaven is to have the name of God on our very bodies:

And He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month, and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no curse any more; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face: and His Name shall be on their foreheads.  (Revelation  22:1-4)

Let us resolve to always say the name of the Lord with reverence, knowing that when we do, we praise, bless, and glorify him, and that can and should give confidence that he will do likewise for us.

Joseph, diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.

Keep holy the sabbath day

In today’s post, we will move from discussing commandments that deal with our relationship with our fellow man to discussing the three Commandments that deal directly with our relationship to God.    They are the first three Commandments given by God, and therefore, the first three listed when the Decalogue is officially posted anywhere.  Why are they the first?  It is simple; we must love God first before we can love our fellow man correctly.   If our love for fellow man is not rooted in our love for God, then it is bound to fail, or at least fall short of what they deserve.

The Third Commandment is,

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.

Well, I have some good news for you all.   This post will be very short!  The reason why is because I have spoken at length already about the Lord's Day.  Here are the links to the two posts I made on this topic:

https://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/sunday-mass.html

https://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/sunday-rest.html

In these posts, I not only draw on matter from the Catechism, but also from Saint John Paul II’s apostolic letter, “Dies Domini”.

Keeping holy the Lord’s day, as you can see from the post titles above, is about worship of God, and rest from daily work.  It is not a day of doing nothing.  It is a day of remembering what God has done for us.  It is a day where we gaze on God, and his creation, which includes both the world of nature, and our fellow man.   It is a day to build relationship and solidarity with God and our neighbor.  Finally, although it is indeed a day of rest from creative work, it can be a day of works of mercy, where we not so much create, as we do in our day to day work, as much as love.

This Commandment is a gift from God to us. When we return that gift by worshiping him, and gazing on his creation, doing what he wishes us to do on Sundays, then we will be blessed beyond measure.

So, read the posts above for more information on the Lord’s Day, and let us remember to give God the time he deserves each and every day, but especially, on His day.

Joseph, protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Honor thy father and thy mother, Part Two

In tonight’s post, we will conclude our reflections on the 4^th Commandment,

Honor your father and your mother.

We stated last time that this Commandment has implications not just for those under and in parental authority, and also those under and in civil authority.  This Commandment imposes rights and responsibilities to those in authority, and to those under authority.  All authority ultimately comes from God.  It is up to us to exercise it wisely if we have been given that gift, and for those under authority, to be grateful for that gift.   Since it is a gift from God, it must be exercised and adhered to, however, under the guidance of God’s moral law.  None of us are required to obey or exercise authority that goes against the natural or revealed law (see our recent post entitled “The law” for more information about law.)

The Catechism has some words of wisdom for those in civil authority.  It states a few things:

1)      Those who exercise authority should do so as a service. "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant."  (#2235, Matthew 10:37) Those who have authority should consider themselves servants of the people they lead.  (The Pope is often referred to as the “servant of the servants of God”).

2)      The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. (#2236)     Those in authority must exercise it with an understanding of what values are foundational and those that build on those initial foundations.  For example, life is the fundamental value, without which there can be and indeed are no other ones.  Family life is the foundation of society, without which society crumbles.   All other goods, such as prosperity, and health, can and should be pursued only after those foundational values are secured.   There can no peace unless this hierarchy is respected.  Those in authority must know what values and goods are the highest.  Can we say that about our leaders these days?

3)      Those in authority must respect the fundamental rights of the human person (#2237).  Every person has rights, including those in the margins of society.   Only when these rights are respected, can justice be administered, and peace secured.

How about those under authority?

 For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.  As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil.  Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 

1 Peter 2:13-17

The Catechism also speaks to those under civil authority (which is all of us).  

1)      Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts… (However) their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of persons and to the good of the community. (#2238)   We may not like some of our leaders, but they have been at least permitted by God to exercise authority for our good, and we must have a healthy respect for that, and conduct ourselves appropriately.   This does not mean we have to agree with everything they say, or even do what they say (if it is immoral), and we can even critique them.  However, we must honor and respect them, just like we do our parents.

2)      We must follow our leaders and make contributions to the good of society.  Patriotism is a good, one of the ways we exercise the virtue of piety.   We must serve one another, contribute with our talents, pay our taxes, vote, and defend our country if need be.  Part of this can and should be welcoming the foreigner in search of a better life if we have the resources to do so, and conditions are secure enough.

3)      As we have hinted at before, we are not obliged to follow the demands of civil authority if they go against natural law.  If human rights are not respected, or if something goes against the teachings of the Church, we are justified in resisting.   In extreme cases, if authority becomes oppressive, armed resistance is justified if very specific conditions are met as the Catechism outlines (#2243): 1) there is certain, grave, and prolonged violation of fundamental rights; 2) all other means of redress have been exhausted; 3) such resistance will not provoke worse disorders; 4) there is well-founded hope of success; and 5) it is impossible reasonably to foresee any better solution.  This is very much like what we discussed in the posts on the 5^th Commandment: only in very limited conditions, can the use of force be justified.

The final part of the Catechism’s treatment of the 4^th Commandment discusses the Church’s relationship with authority.   It mentions that the Church is separate from political authority, for she points to man’s transcendent destiny.    She invites, not forces, civil authority to measure their philosophies and decisions against this truth about man, that he was created by, and destined for, God the Creator and Redeemer.   If in the political realm, circumstances require her to pass judgments on matters that affect man's eternal destiny, his salvation, then she has a duty to speak out. 

As a lot of us know, this issue of the Church’s relationship with political authority is a sensitive one these days.  Some people feel the Church speaks too much on political matters, some feel it speaks too little.   For example, some people feel when the Church speaks about national budgets, that it is an economic matter and therefore, outside the realm of the Church’s legitimacy to discuss.  However, some in the Church would respond that budgets that hurt the poor affect the salvation of those who create them because we are judged, among other things, by how we treat the least vulnerable among us.   The same holds true on immigration.  Some people feel this is outside the boundaries of what the Church should be speaking on because it is a matter of security, not salvation. but many feel it is appropriate because it is a matter of salvation, again, because we are judged on how we treat those less fortunate. 

This issue dovetails into the larger issue, very sensitive these days, of how authority overall is exercised in the Church.  Many feel the Bishops are not doing a good job of exercising authority because they don’t discipline members of the Church (both laity and clergy) who go astray in their moral lives.    They spend too much time, it is said, speaking out in matters in the political realm, but do not put enough muscle into things going on in the Church.    There is some truth to this argument.  I think, however, a fuller reflection on this topic is for another post at another time.  

For now, let us just take and put into action these principles, and if we do, we will be good leaders, and good citizens, and have a peaceful and prosperous society.  

We have now completed the Commandments that deal with our relationship with our neighbor.  We shall not bear false witness, steal, commit adultery, or kill, and we shall honor our father and mother.  Starting with the next Commandment, our attention gazes heavenly, towards the one we must revere and honor above all else, almighty God.

Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Honor thy father and thy mother, Part One

Tonight, we will begin reflecting on the 4^th commandment,

Honor your father and your mother.

So far in this series on the 10 Commandments, we have discussed the two Commandments dealing with interior acts of the will (#10,#9), and now four commandments that have dealt with external acts of speech or bodily action dealing with our neighbor (#8,#7,#6, and #5).  With #4 tonight, we will conclude the latter commandments dealing with our relationship with our neighbor. Commandments #3-1 all deal with our relationship with God.

It is vitally important for our relationship with others, and for the good of society overall, that we honor those in authority.  This Commandment is explicitly directed to children in their relationship with their parents, but it also concerns every person’s relationship with authority of any type in society.  Our Lord did say, after all, to “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's” (Matthew 22:21).   If we do as this Commandment says, both in the family and in civil society brings spiritual blessings, as well as peace and prosperity in our land.

We will separate our discussion of this Commandment into two posts: the first, tonight, we will discuss parental authority, and in the second part, we will discuss civil authority.

Parental authority is exercised in the family.   As most of us know, there has been a lot of discussion in the recent decade, both in and outside the Church, on the state of the family today, and what can be done to better take care of, and foster, good, devout family life.   Why does the Church hold the family in such high esteem?  The family is both a supernatural and a natural good in the eyes of the Church:

1)      Supernaturally, the family is a domestic church, and a communion of persons.  It is a specific revelation of the Church, a family of communion, where each draw strength from the other, and from God, leading each other towards God together, living a life of supernatural virtue. Listen to these beautiful words from the Catechism (#2205):  The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the Father's work of creation. It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in charity. The Christian family has an evangelizing and missionary task.

2)      Naturally, the family is the original cell of social life.   Again, from the Catechism (#2207), we read:  Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.   In taking care of one another, children learn skills to help them become generous in later life.

Because the family is the building block for society, society has an obligation itself to honor the family, and provide the necessary conditions for its flourishing.   The Catechism (#2211) lists several things society needs to ensure for the good of family life:

the freedom to establish a family, have children, and bring them up in keeping with the family's own moral and religious convictions;

- the protection of the stability of the marriage bond and the institution of the family;

- the freedom to profess one's faith, to hand it on, and raise one's children in it, with the necessary means and institutions;

- the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate;

- in keeping with the country's institutions, the right to medical care, assistance for the aged, and family benefits;

- the protection of security and health, especially with respect to dangers like drugs, pornography, alcoholism, etc.

- the freedom to form associations with other families and so to have representation before civil authority

The family imposes obligations on society, but also obligations on those within the family.  Children, whether minors or adults, are called to filial piety (a virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit, if you recall).   They should show gratitude for what their parents have done and continue to do.  They need to be obedient to them when they live under the parent’s roof (unless they ask the child to do something immoral.)  Even when the obligation of obedience ends because they are old enough to move out, and be on their own, they must always show their parents respect.   When the parents grow old, children are responsible, as best they can, to provide material and moral support.  At every stage of life, all of us need to heed these words from Scripture:

For the Lord honored the father above the children, and he confirmed the right of the mother over her sons. Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother. (Sirach 3:2-6)

O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him. . . . Whoever forsakes his father is like a blasphemer, and whoever angers his mother is cursed by the Lord. (Sirach 3:12-13,16)

This filial piety towards our parents should promote respect and peace in our relationships with our siblings, extended family, as well as pastors and teachers.

Parents themselves also have duties and obligations in the family.   They must regard their children as children of God, and as persons of their own.   They must educate their children; indeed, they are the primary educators of them.  Having said that, they can also enlist the help of others, and with that, comes the right to choose a school for their children based on their convictions.  They must teach by word and example the virtues, self-denial, self-mastery, and sound judgment.   They have to discipline and correct their children when necessary for their own good.   They must teach them the faith.  This includes evangelization (the core Gospel message of salvation offered through Christ), as well as catechesis (understanding and living out the Faith), and how to pray (helping their children develop a relationship with God).   In addition to their intellectual, human, and spiritual needs, parents must also attend to the physical needs of their children, taking care of them when they are ill, and ensuring they can grow to be healthy adults.  When their children become old enough, and when the aforementioned obligation of obedience on the part of children ceases, parents must give their children the autonomy to make family and career decisions on their own, but of course, parents have the right and duty to give counsel in these matters.

So this Commandment indeed does pose obligations on a multitude of persons, not just young children.  It poses responsibilities on not just young children, but older children, as well as parents, and the entire society.  Truly we can see here, like we can with the other Commandments, that there is more to it than meets the eye.  And we shall see more in Part Two when we consider more in detail civil authority, and our responsibility to it, and its responsibility to us.

In closing, I would like to express a word of gratitude for the gift from God of my own parents, who I feel did a very good job raising me, despite the challenges I am sure that came with that.  Their love remains a constant source of joy and encouragement in my life.   I am also grateful for the gift of my two brothers.  The love from my parents was reflected in a way by them in their love for me.  I hope I have returned love to both my parents, and my brothers in a way befitting the honor of being a son and brother. 

Joseph, glory of home life, pray for us.

Thou shall not kill, Part Two

Today, we will conclude our discussion of the 5^th commandment,

You shall not kill.

This commandment, while it is directed at individuals, should also be taken as good advice for collective bodies, such as states, nations, and world organizations.   Nations and peoples should develop a life affirming mentality, a respect for human life.   The Catechism points out that generating this respect is impossible without peace.    In # 2304, the Catechism gives a beautiful definition of peace that is worth quoting in full: Peace is not merely the absence of war, and it is not limited to maintaining a balance of powers between adversaries. Peace cannot be attained on earth without safeguarding the goods of persons, free communication among men, respect for the dignity of persons and peoples, and the assiduous practice of fraternity. Peace is "the tranquility of order." Peace is the work of justice and the effect of charity.   Notice it says peace is not simply the absence of war; rather it is the presence of justice.   It is very possible to say a nation, though it not be at war, may also not be at peace.   Many might say that about our country today.  There are multiple components to peace, as the beautiful definition above states, and usually, at least one of the components is missing.

But the Catechism’s definition of peace does not stop there.  It goes deeper, adding an important spiritual element to it in #2305.  Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic "Prince of Peace." By the blood of his Cross, "in his own person he killed the hostility," he reconciled men with God and made his Church the sacrament of the unity of the human race and of its union with God. "He is our peace." He has declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers." If we want peace, we need to look the example of Christ, and seek his grace.  Christ must be acknowledged as the King of the Universe for the world to experience true peace.

The absence of war indeed does not guarantee peace.   However, the presence of war ensures it is not present.  Therefore, the Church calls on all of us as individuals and collective entities to work for the avoidance of war.   However, the Church does acknowledge, just as individuals have the right to defend themselves, nations have a similar right.   There are strict conditions where the use of military force may be justified.  The Catechism lays them out for us in #2309:

- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;

- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;

- there must be serious prospects of success;

- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

The Church has long held that while peace should be a goal of individuals and nations, pacifism is not necessarily the way to that, and there are times when war may be justified, under the strict conditions listed above.  Like with the death penalty, however, conditions that would make war justified grow lesser as time goes on, especially in this age where nations have extremely powerful capabilities for destruction.

If war does occur, it does not mean that everything suddenly becomes morally licit.   We must treat prisoners and wounded soldiers humanely.  Individuals and groups, such as ethnic groups, cannot ever be targeted for extermination, nor can cities and other heavily populated areas be targeted indiscriminately.  This is a particular danger in today’s climate where nations have access to nuclear weapons.    Speaking of nuclear weapons, the Church is skeptical that the building up of arms (“arms races”) is an effective way of building peace.   It deters resources from other measures, such as aid for the needy, and increase the risk of escalation, which often leads to war.   Leaders have a duty to monitor and regulate the production and sales of arms.

Finally, the Catechism notes that societal conditions, such as excessive economic and social inequalities, as well as excessive nationalism, often threaten peace, and can lead to war.  What we do to control these disorders can help lead to peace, and avoid war.

Let us indeed be peacemakers, as Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, commands us.   Let us first have peace with God, which will lead to peace with ourselves, which will lead to peace with our neighbors, and which will hopefully lead to peace among nations.

Joseph most strong, pray for us.

Thou shall not kill, Part One

We are halfway through the 10 Commandments now.  We started with #10, and have now reached the 5^th Commandment,

You shall not kill.

Of all the Commandments, this may be the one we need most urgently to hear now.

This Commandment is not based on simply the fact that it feels wrong to kill, or that it is sad when someone is killed.   It goes beyond saying human life is a natural good (which it is).  No, the reason man does not kill goes deeper than that, and points to a much deeper, profound reality.  Listen to the beautiful words of the Catechism (2258). It says we do not kill because:

Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.  God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.

Human life is not just good, it is sacred.   Because it is sacred, God alone can determine when it begins and when it ends, not man.

Self-defense which involves the killing of an aggressor can be justified if one’s life is in danger and in the process of defending one’s own life, someone else is killed.   The death penalty can be legitimate if killing the aggressor will somehow save lives, but in the view of the Church, those situations today are rare, if non-existent. 

The specific kind of killing, however, forbidden by the 5^th Commandment, is intentional.  In other words, the action must be intended to affect the individual who is killed, as opposed to directed at someone else whose life will be protected by the unintended taking of another life.    This intentional killing can either be direct, such as shooting someone, or indirect, such as refusing to help someone when you can who is dying.

Here are some sins against this Commandment:

1)      Intentional homicide (see paragraph above)

2)      Abortion In the words of the Catechism (2270), Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.  There is never a reason to kill a baby, with the exception of extremely rare cases where a mother’s life would be in jeopardy as a result of the pregnancy and/or birth (some dispute these cases even exist at all).  In those cases, another procedure would be used.  There are however, heroic cases where a mother will see the birth through even at the risk of her own life.

3)      Euthanasia   In the words of the Catechism (2276-77) those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect. Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible.   Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.  All human life is sacred.  Old age and/or severe illness do not change this, nor does it change the reality that God is the Lord of life.  It is permissible to withhold extraordinary measures that would unnecessarily prolong life; doing this is not intentionally killing the person, as euthanasia is.

4)      Suicide In the words of the Catechism (2280-2281), everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of. Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life. It is gravely contrary to the just love of self. It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations. Suicide is contrary to love for the living God.

There are other offenses against this Commandment that are not specifically against the value of life, but rather, against the dignity of persons, which is the moral foundation behind the Church’s teaching on the dignity of all human life.  Human life is evidenced by the activity of the human body.  When the body stops working, there is no more life.  Therefore, since it is the visible sign or sacrament of the gift of life that is from God, it has sacred value in and of itself, and has an integrity that must be upheld.

5)      Scandal   This is leading another to do something wrong; for example, take drugs, steal, or perform illicit sexual acts.

6)      Intemperance    This is disrespecting the body by excess consumption of food, alcohol, tobacco, and/or drugs.  It also includes prohibits against acting unsafely, such as driving recklessly.

7)      Other sins against the integrity of the body  Torture, kidnapping, terrorism, amputations, sterilizations, mutilations

The human body is a gift, and must be treated with love and respect, even after death.  Proper burial of the body is the preferred and time honored method the Church uses to honor the memory of the deceased, show his or her value, and testify to the reality that our bodies will be raised again at the end of time.  Cremation is permitted as long as it is not implied that the person and/or his or her loved do not believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead.

Finally, this section of the Catechism also touched on human dignity as it related to scientific research.  I covered this in detail in my series on the Church and science.  Here is a link to that post:

http://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-church-and-science-part-1.html

The final section of the Catechism’s discussion of this Commandment focuses on the broader concepts of war and peace.   In light of the world we live in, where war seems ever near and peace ever far, I think a discussion of those ideas warrant their own post, and so I will discuss them in Part 2.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ says,

"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

In the world we live in, human life is very fragile, and quite frankly, in danger, at all stages, from conception through the end of life.  Christians are called to be witnesses to, in the words of the late Saint John Paul II, the “Gospel of Life”, in the midst of this, again in his terms, “Culture of Death”.    Let us follow in the footsteps of Our Lord, and be witnesses and bearers of life to all we meet, and all we influence.

Joseph, diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.

Thou shall not commit adultery

Tonight, we will continue exploring the 10 Commandments.   We started with the 10^th and 9^th, which dealt with the interior acts of the will.   We then moved on to the 8^th which dealt with verbal sins.  The 7^th began the section of commandments that dealt with exterior physical acts.  We continue that section of the Commandments tonight with the 6^th commandment,

You shall not commit adultery

In the first part of this post, we will discuss chastity and sexuality in general.  In the second, we will zero in specifically on marriage and family life.

This commandment deals with sexuality.   It is important to note the Church views sexuality as involving the total body and soul.   In the words of the Catechism (2332), sexuality incorporates” the capacity to love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of communion with others.”  This Commandment incorporates all of human sexuality, not just acts of intercourse.

Each of us has a sexual identity, male or female.  Our differences, which are not just physical, but moral and spiritual as well, are oriented towards the good of marriage and family life.   There is equal dignity between men and women, but not sameness. 

How is sexuality related to the virtue of chastity?  I have referenced chastity before but it is important for our discussion of this commandment so here is the definition again.  You can see how it relates to sexuality.  Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift (Catechism, 2337).

Chasity involves both the proper living out of our sexuality within ourselves, and also how we it “give it away” to others.  All of the passions that make up our sexuality must be under the control of the unified self.  They have to be directed by the powers of reason, as well as be under the influence of divine grace.  To this end, study of morality is important, as is prayer, self-discipline, and access to the Sacraments. 

Chastity is both a virtue and a gift.  It is under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which you may recall from a previous post is the moral virtue that moderates the attraction of pleasures and provides balance in the use of created goods.  I listed it as one of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit in a previous post. I defined the fruit there as moderation and control of the physical appetites, not controlled by emotions when faced with temptation.   By doing what we can on our part to live the virtue of chastity, we are more inclined to be able to receive the gift of chastity.   It is a wonderful dynamic of Christian life that we can aim towards something, and have the achievement of it be both of natural and supernatural origin.

Chastity helps us practice love (charity) appropriately.  It denotes how we best make a gift of ourselves to another.  This means not just in the marital act, but also in friendship, and the bonds between priests and religious in that state. 

The Catechism calls out several sins against chastity, which I did list in a previous post.  I will re-post here.

1) Lust   This is a desire for sexual pleasure for its own sake, not for any unitive or procreative purposes.
2) Masturbation   This is deliberate stimulation of the sexual organs in order to derive sexual pleasure.
3) Fornication  This is a carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman.
4) Pornography  This is displaying deliberately sexual acts to third parties, removing them from the intimacies of partners.
5) Prostitution   This is paying, or accepting pay, for sexual pleasure.
6) Rape  This is the forceful violation of the sexual intimacy of another person.
7) Homosexual acts These are relations of a sexual nature between two persons of the same gender.  

Seeing this last topic is so sensitive, and I have discussed it before, I will simply repost here what the Catechism teaches in its entirety so there is no misunderstanding.  Perhaps a topic for a separate post, there is a lot of intense conflict in the Church these days because various groups and individuals are emphasizing one part of the following teaching, and are not talking about it in its entirety:

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered." They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. 

Despite sexuality in some way being incorporated in all we are and do, it  is most acutely expressed in the conjugal act between a man and a woman.   The sexual act is not just biological, but it is expressive of the innermost being of the person, including the spiritual.   The act has two ends, the good of the spouses , and the transmission of life.   In other words, the act carries the two-fold obligation of fidelity  and fecundity. 

Regarding fidelity, the act is a total self-giving of one person to another.   One, therefore, cannot execute this act, and be committed to more than one person.  This is why this act is proper only within the bond of marriage.  I have spoken about marriage in several posts before, so there is no need to go into too much detail here.  Here is a link to a one I did very early on that speaks about the anxiety many feel about it today, as well as one I did more recently on the Sacrament of Matrimony.

http://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/marriage.html

http://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-sacrament-of-matrimony.html

Regarding the second end, fecundity, the act is naturally fruitful, as in the beautiful words of the Catechism (2366), springs from the very heart of that mutual giving, as its fruit and fulfillment.”   Any act that deliberately excludes this possibility is therefore, unnatural, and immoral.   In a post I did on contraception, I wrote the following:

Let us read the exact words of the Catechism on this matter, which quote the 1968 encyclical Humane Vitae.  "Every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" is intrinsically evil." (p.2370)   When we introduce something to thwart fecundity, into to an act that is designed by God to promote fecundity, we do grave evil.   The conjugal act is oriented towards a certain good and a certain truth as we have seen.   By interfering with these, contraception doesn't just do that, it fosters dire consequences for humanity as a whole, as we have seen.

(The consequences  I was referring to were the ones that come with a decrease in population, which we have discussed extensively in this blog. ) 

Children are indeed a gift, not something we are owed, and certainly not to be discarded.  Families, especially large ones, are a sign of God’s blessing and the parent’s generosity.  Those who bear the cross of not being able to bear children can still exhibit the traits of faithful and generous love by adopting children or serving them in other ways.

Earlier, we listed sins as against chastity.  Here are some sins specifically against marriage (which I have also listed before).

1) Adultery  This is sexual relations between two people, at least one of whom is married to another party.
2) Divorce   This is breaking of the marital covenant the two spouses entered into, which states they will love one another until death do them part.
3) Polygamy  This is being "married" to more than one person at a time.
4) Incest  This is sexual relations between relatives or in-laws.
5) Sexual abuse  This is forced sexual activity by an adult on a child or adolescent. (The Catechism lists it here as it often connected to incest, but it can also be totally non-familial, as well.)
6) "Free unions"  This is sexual relations between people who have not made a commitment to each other (living together before marriage would fall under this category).

As I wrote then:

What do all of these have in common?  They go against the natural desire in the human heart of man for love that is exclusive, permanent, and life-giving, the kind of love that can only be found in natural marriage.  They go against the good of the family; the source, fruit, and sustainer of that kind of love.  They ultimately do not satisfy.

We desperately need a renewal of appreciation for chastity, sexuality, marriage, and family, in the world, and in the Church today.   There is a battle going on, and we must take a stand.   There are those inside and outside the Church who wish to minimize the importance of these teachings, or even go as far to say they are optional, or that they might change.   We must resist the strong temptation to ignore these teaching.  We are called to love with our whole selves, soul and body, and our sexuality is a part of that.  It cannot be set aside.  It is a part of who we are and if we seek to repress it or direct it in places it should not, only bad things happen.   Let us strive to live this 6^th commandment everyday, and with the help of God, be victorious in the fight to be chaste, and win the prize of eternal life .

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Thou shall not steal, Part Two

In the last post, we began our discussion of the 7^th commandment,

You shall not steal.

We spoke about the various forms of theft out there today, and included in that, were various forms of economic and political thought that “robs” human beings of their inherent dignity.  One critical aspect of this dignity is the ability to provide for oneself and be productive.  The Catechism (2436) states this: Unemployment almost always wounds its victim's dignity and threatens the equilibrium of his life. Besides the harm done to him personally, it entails many risks for his family.

What is it about work that is so good that it contributes to human dignity?   The Catechism (2427) provides a rich explanation:  Human work proceeds directly from persons created in the image of God and called to prolong the work of creation by subduing the earth, both with and for one another. Hence work is a duty: "If any one will not work, let him not eat." Work honors the Creator's gifts and the talents received from him. It can also be redemptive. By enduring the hardship of work in union with Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth and the one crucified on Calvary, man collaborates in a certain fashion with the Son of God in his redemptive work. He shows himself to be a disciple of Christ by carrying the cross, daily, in the work he is called to accomplish. Work can be a means of sanctification and a way of animating earthly realities with the Spirit of Christ.

Through enduring the hardships of work, man participates in his own sanctification, which is becoming holy.  There is no other better reason for work than that.  We become like God in participating in his work of creation.  We become holy.   We truly become the best we can be, fulfilling our potential.

Is this the attitude we bring to our work every day? Do we truly believe it will make us holy?  Do we go to work to give glory to God?

So because it is a means of holiness and therefore, self-fulfillment, society has an obligation to provide man and women the opportunity to exercise their gifts and reap the rewards of their labor.  The Catechism (2431) explains:  "Economic activity, especially the activity of a market economy, cannot be conducted in an institutional, juridical, or political vacuum. On the contrary, it presupposes sure guarantees of individual freedom and private property, as well as a stable currency and efficient public services. Hence the principal task of the state is to guarantee this security, so that those who work and produce can enjoy the fruits of their labors and thus feel encouraged to work efficiently and honestly. . . . Another task of the state is that of overseeing and directing the exercise of human rights in the economic sector. However, primary responsibility in this area belongs not to the state but to individuals and to the various groups and associations which make up society."

This opportunity to work must be granted to all without unjust discrimination.  We spoke a bit in our post on racism about the inherent dignity of all men and women.  This must be respected when it comes to employment opportunities.

Work is for man, not man for work.   Therefore, it cannot simply be about profit.  The good of persons must be considered first before profit.   However, since profit is necessary to maintain a business operation and have the aforementioned opportunities for work, it is reasonable and just to pursue them within reason.

As it is reasonable for employers to pursue profit, so it is reasonable for employees to pursue a just wage.   The Catechism teaches that a just wage must take into account the kind of work being performed, as well as the needs of the employee.  For example, a man who has to provide for a family can justly be compensated more than someone doing the same job that does not have to provide for one.   Recourse to a strike is morally legitimate if necessary to obtain a legitimate wage or some other benefit for the group as a whole.   They become morally unacceptable if violence is utilized or the objectives are not in line with the working conditions.

Because different people have different interests, sometimes conflict arise in the work world, and in those cases, negotiations are encouraged to resolve conflicts of interest.  Groups such as labor unions can provide a very meaningful roles provided their conduct remains within legitimate moral grounds.

If you are interested in more about my feelings and experience on work from a personal perspective, here is a link to a post I did very early on in this blog about the topic.

http://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/work.html

I also did a post early on the model worker, Saint Joseph that you might be interested in.

http://jimscatholicblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/saint-joseph.html

So this commandment covers more than just a simple “Don’t take things from other people.”  It is easier to violate this commandment than one might think.  (I think this is true of many of the Commandments, as we have and will see.)    Let us be good stewards of the resources and time God has given us, as individuals, families, and nations.

Saint Joseph the Worker, pray for us.