10 Commandments

Moses was the person who God chose to teach His message to the people of Israel. God called Moses up the mountain for this sacred encounter. It was there that God entered into a covenant with the Jews: They were to follow this law. He was to be their God. They were to be His people. The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) has been an effective guide to godly living for over 3,000 years. This Law taught the Israelites how to worship God and how to live in harmony with family, friends and the rest of society.

We are subject to these same 10 Commandments today.

• 1 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.”  -Exodus 20:1-3 This commandment emphasizes the importance of monotheism, the belief in one, true God. It calls Catholics to avoid idolatry in all forms, whether it be through worshipping false gods or placing undue importance on material possessions.
• 2 “You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” -Exodus 20:7 This commandment is about respecting God’s name and using it with reverence. It extends to oaths and promises made in God’s name, emphasizing the need for truth and honesty.
• 3 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” -Exodus 20:8 Actively participating in the Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. It is a day for rest, reflection, and community, reminding us of the importance of dedicating time to our spiritual lives.
• 4 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” –Exodus 20:12 This commandment extends beyond the respect for parents to include all authority figures and elders. It’s about recognizing the roles and responsibilities within a family and society.
• 5 “You shall not kill.”  -Exodus 20:13 The sanctity of life is at the core of this commandment. We are to respect all forms of human life.
• 6 “You shall not commit adultery.” -Exodus 20:14 This commandment underscores the importance of fidelity and the sanctity of the marital bond. It is broadly interpreted to include all forms of sexual immorality. This is the commandment of personal chastity.
• 7 “You shall not steal.” -Exodus 20:15 This commandment calls us to respect the property and rights of others. It can also brings attention to the broader issues of social justice and the equitable distribution of resources.
• 8 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” –Exodus 20:16 With this commandment honesty and integrity are the foundations of our behavior. We should be truthful in our words and actions, especially in matters of justice.
• 9 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” -Exodus 20:17 This commandment addresses the purity of heart. We are called to control our thoughts and desires, focusing on virtuous and moral living.
• 10 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.”  -Exodus 20:17 Similar to the ninth commandment, this one warns against envy and greed. It encourages us to focus on contentment and gratitude for what we have in our lives.

The class activities were about order. Could we in our groups put prayers in the correct order? Several of the most common prayers were broken down by sentence/phrase onto strips of paper. Each group needed to put the prayer together as fast as possible. The second task was putting the 10 Commandments in order 1-10. While this seemed easy it was harder than the class realized.

In preparation for the month of October we discussed the upcoming Rosary challenge. October is dedicated to the Rosary a time to focus on the prayer of the Rosary and honor the Virgin Mary. The word Rosary means “a crown of roses” that is given to the Blessed Mother as a spiritual bouquet. Many Catholics are unaware of the distinct benefit of praying the Rosary daily. When prayed these four days — Monday through Thursday — a person who has prayed the Rosary has meditated on the most significant events of the entire life of Jesus, from the moment He was conceived in His mother’s womb by the Holy Spirit, His childhood, His public life, His suffering and death, His resurrection and ascension into Heaven, and the crowning of His mother as Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into the mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the Rosary is beyond description. – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

So what’s the use in praying the Rosary every day? Why even bother? Here are just a few of the reasons:

1. The Rosary is a prayer that any person who has the ability to think can learn, regardless of age, occupation, status, education, or financial ability. It truly is a prayer for all humanity.

2. The Rosary is a prayer that requires a certain degree of humility and an acknowledgment that we really aren’t as sophisticated as we think we are. People who are filled with pride don’t pray the Rosary. It’s too simple a prayer. Too repetitive. Too trivial. They don’t need it. They have too many more important things to do with their time.

3. Praying the rosary reduces us to being viewed as children in the eyes of God — children who are turning to their spiritual mother for love, guidance, protection, and support. It was our Lord Himself who said that we must be like children in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

*****Family Faith Formation 10.7.21****

For more in depth lessons about the 10 Commandments we recommend visiting our previous lessons Session 22: The First Three Commandments and Session 23: Commandments Four through Ten