The law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “

Matthew 5:17-19

What is the law that we hear so much bout in the Bible?

The Catechism gives this definition:  The Law is a fatherly instruction by God which prescribes for man the ways that lead to the promised beatitude, and proscribes the ways of evil. (p.1975)

What type of law is this? Is it a written, man-made law?  No, it is the law of God.   It is a moral law.  This law is inscribed by God in nature, both in creation and within the human person. It is not just a set of demands to keep law and order.  No, it is more than that, it is the way that leads to happiness.  So it is not just a list of do's and dont's, and nothing more.  Rather,  it is something created by God for a much more noble end than just conformity.  That end is our beatitude.

There are four different legitimate expressions of this moral law according to the Catechism:

1)      Eternal law - the source, in God, of all law;

2)      Natural law

3)       Revealed law, comprising the Old Law and the New Law, or Law of the Gospel;

4)      Civil and ecclesiastical laws

Christ is the end and the source of God's moral law.   The Catechism calls the law the “work of Wisdom”.  The Wisdom of God is typically associated with the second Person of the Trinity, which is God’s self-understanding (a little technical here, but trust me, it is beautiful truth!).  Christ, therefore, is the author of the law.  When we discover the law, we ultimately discover him.  Therefore, he is also the end of the law as is stated by the apostle Paul:

For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4

The natural law is basically the eternal law written in our hearts.  It is man’s participation in the eternal law of God.  By conforming to the precepts of the natural law, and thus performing self-mastery, we participate in the wisdom of God.  

It is called “natural” because it can be discerned by reason.   The Catechism speaks of a few other characteristics of the natural law.  It is

        1) Present in the heart of each man and woman
        2) Universal in its precepts
        3)  Expressive of the dignity and rights of the human person
        4)  Varied in its application, but binding on all
        5)   Immutable and permanent throughout the variations in history

In his sinful condition, the precepts of the natural law, however, are not clearly perceived by all.  (I think that is an understatement today.)  To assist sinful man, God gives another source of law, which does not contradict or nullify natural law, but supplants and fulfills it, and that is, revealed law.   This revealed law, as we stated earlier, compromises both the Old and the New Law.

The Old Law is the first stage of revealed law.  Its precepts are summed up in the 10 Commandments (hopefully a future series in this blog).  God revealed this Law to his chosen people Israel (the people he chose to reveal Himself through).  The 10 Commandments prescribe what is necessary to love God, and find happiness, and what to avoid.  It is basically a summary of the natural law, a light to it for those who cannot see it.   It is good, but it is not perfect, because while it prescribes what must be done to fulfill it, it does not give the graces necessary to do that.  That only comes up with the second state of revealed law, and that is the New Law.

The New Law (sometimes called the Law of the Gospel) in the words of the Catechism, is the perfection here on earth of the divine law, natural and revealed.   Just as the 10 Commandments were the primary expression of the Old Law, the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes, is  the primary expression of the New Law.   It, too, is the work of Christ, but it is also the work of the Holy Spirit.  Through the Spirit, the law becomes, in the words of the Catechism, an interior law of charity.    In other words, it is love that animates it, as opposed to simple reason and obedience.  So the New Law is a law of love.

The source of the New Law is the Holy Spirit.    It acts in conformity with our natural inclinations and as such, does not surpass the natural law, but rather, it gives the grace to live it out.  This law also has an end that is supernatural, namely divine life, not just natural order, or natural happiness.  So the New Law is a law of grace.

The New Law sets us free from the juridical and ritual precepts that were dominant in the Old Law.  Instead of doing something out of obligation, we do it out of love, and we do it because we want to, out of charity, inspired by the Holy Spirit.  So, in addition to being a law of love, and a law of grace, the New Law is a law of freedom.

So, the moral law, in the eyes of God, is not a bad thing.  It is a good thing.  It is our blueprint to happiness.   That is why it is so important now that society rediscover the natural law as something good, and accessible to all, through both reason and Revelation.  It can unify and build solidarity among all people.   Natural law is where our rights come from, and the more we understand and seek to know it, the better off we will be.  


Once we get a better consensus on the positive value of natural law, I think that will make the ground more fertile for evangelization, which is the Gospel, through which people will hear about the New Law, and be able to live the upright moral life we all so desire, with the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Let us rededicate ourselves to the natural law, and in doing so, we will be happier and more at peace with ourselves, and the world will be a better place.

Joseph, light of Patriarchs and glory of home life, pray for us.