2. THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
COMMANDS: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
FORBIDS: blasphemy; the irreverent use of God’s name; speaking disrespectfully of holy things; false oaths and the breaking of vows.
3. KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY.
COMMANDS: going to church on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
FORBIDS: missing church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work on Sunday and holy days of obligation.
4. HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER.
COMMANDS: love; respect; obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
FORBIDS: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect; disobedience.
5. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
COMMANDS: safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare and that of others.
FORBIDS: unjust killing; suicide; abortion; sterilization; dueling; endangering life and limb of self or others.
6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
COMMANDS: chastity in word and deed.
FORBIDS: obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.
7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
COMMANDS: respect for the property of rights and others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public office.
FORBIDS: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; breach of contract.
8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
COMMANDS: truthfulness; respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.
FORBIDS: lying; injury to the good name of others; slander; talebearing; rash judgment; contemptuous speech and the violation of secrecy.
9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S WIFE.
COMMANDS: purity in thought.
FORBIDS: wilful impure thought and desires.
10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’S GOODS.
COMMANDS: respect for the rights of others.
FORBIDS: the desire to take, to keep, or damage the property of others.
UPLOADED BY MICHAEL G HAINS SYSOP CATHOLICS’ RESOURCE NETWORK COMPUSERVE ID 76711,1340
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us, he sets himself against our doings…. To us he is the censure of our thoughts. Merely to see him is a hardship.”—Wisdom 2:12, 14
“[Jesus] had decided not to travel in Judea because some of the Jews were looking for a chance to kill him…. Some of the people of Jerusalem remarked ‘Is this not the one they want to kill?’”—John 7:1, 25
We have perhaps read the studies which show that once a group has decided to differentiate itself from another group, the rules of conversation change toward that group. We are inclined to believe the worst of them, paranoia and conspiracy theories soon abound, they are fair game for the commentators, and our chosen mistrust looks for any justification whatsoever to fear, hate, or even kill. Soon any defensive or even offensive attacks toward that person or group are fully rationalized and justified. It is a rare person who can stand uninfluenced by this field of gossip and innuendo. This is the sad pattern of human history. It is just such an atmosphere that is presented in both readings today, as we near the climactic events of Holy Week. The taunting verses from the book of Wisdom sound familiar to most Christians because they are the backdrop of the Crucifixion scene: “If he is the son of God, then God will defend him.” In the full text we read a kind of bravado and defiance, daring the “just person” to prove himself. It feels like the school bully mocking the classmate who might be smarter, more popular, or even more mature. For some strange reason, fearful humans are threatened by anyone outside of their frame of reference. They are always a threat and must be brought down. The same pattern is then found in the Gospel. So strange that even religious authorities can speak openly of wanting to kill Jesus, and the crowds even openly know about this. What has religion come to? Vengeance is often an open, but denied secret when fear and gossip reign in a society. Every attempt is being made to discredit Jesus, and even his family of origin, which is a very common pattern. (The whole of John 7 might give you even more of the feeling of malice and intrigue than the selected passage here in the Lectionary.) Jesus is slowly being isolated for the attack, he moves around “secretly.” You can feel his loneliness and anguish, and all he can do is claim his true origins—to deaf ears. In these days, we are being invited to share in the passion of Jesus, and in the aloneness and fear of all who have been hated and hunted down since the beginning of time.
“God of loving truth, keep me from the world of gossip and accusation. Do not let me ‘kill’ others, even in my mind or heart.”
A lot of people quote scripture in their arguments, and that’s very good. It’s what you should do. However, when you do, you have to know and understand scripture. You have to be accurate, because good intentions can lead to very bad things. People say, “The death penalty is immoral, because in the Old Testament it says, “Thou shalt not kill.” So, we cannot have capital punishment, and we cannot go to war? Look at the laws of Israel; they had the death penalty on the books. So, you are saying that they got it wrong from the time of Moses for a 1,000 or so years before Christ came? They went to war all the time. “But, God said, “Thou shalt not kill.” He said thou shall not murder or take life unjustly. Under the 4th and 5th Commandments, you have an obligation. Under the 4th Commandment, you have the right to self-protection, and under the 5th Commandment you have a moral obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves. If you want to get the living you-know-what beat out of you, be my guest. Be a conscientious objector…it’s your right. However, you have no right to aggregate that right to someone else. “Oh, I don’t believe in violence, so I’m going to watch you get the living you-know-what beat out of you.” No, no, no. That’s a grave sin.
Now, I have lulled you into a false sense of security, I’m going to give you a pop quiz. What makes this building special…besides the collection? It’s not a “what” that makes it special; it’s a “Who.” Who resides in this place that makes it so special? It’s the physical presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament. That’s what makes this place special. This is His house. He is physically present here. This is where God resides in every Catholic Church which is the new temple. The temple is the Presence of God and the Holy of Holies. We are blessed, because when we come here, we can speak to God face-to-face like Moses did…as one person speaks to another. At the old temple, the Arc of the Covenant, inside the Holy of Holies, only a priest at a certain time could go in there. Jesus said, “You have forgotten what this place is. Yes, you have the sacrifice as required by law. But, you didn’t have to bring it inside the temple.” That defiled the temple. That’s why our good Lord went crazy and decided to do a little church renewal. I heard someone say that Jesus preached nonviolence. I don’t think so. He kicked behind. He went in to the temple and drove out a lot of people. He said, “Get out of My House. My house is a house of prayer.” Our souls, too, as much as the temple was, and the Church is, are meant to be God’s house of prayer. And, until God is present in our souls, we will never be happy.
Jesus preached violence against sin. Remember when He said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away….And, if your right eye offends you, pluck it out.” Yes, that’s hyperbole. However, we are called to use violence on our souls. We are not called to maim ourselves like having an extra piece of chocolate cake…you don’t need it. That would be a sin against both the 4th and.5th Commandments. However, we are supposed to use that same level of violence to protect from defiling the temple that we carry within us which is our souls. Oh, by the way, now you know why I ‘shush’ people who are talking in church, chewing gum, using their cell phones, and everything else. The Presence of God is here. This is His resting place. This is where He wants to come to us. We are supposed to do violence to anything that would impugn or impede His presence in us and drive Him from our souls…whether a person, place, or thing…the three sources of temptation. We are supposed to do whatever is necessary to rid of ourselves of anything that threatens His presence in our souls.
The Law of Physics says that two objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time. So, God cannot abide in our souls at the same time sin is there or the attraction or affection for sin. We are supposed to use violence against ourselves to preserve the beauty of our souls. Not physical violence, although that has been done. Saint Francis of Assisi was tempted by impurity, so he rolled himself down a hill of thorns. So grave is the abhorrence of sin, that he went to that extreme. So be violent against sin. Realize the great gift of His presence that we have. If you are having trouble with that, come see me in Confession, and I’ll get rid of that stuff for you, and you’ll be all set.
People complain about so many things in the world. “Oh, people don’t have a computer.” “Oh, people don’t have this or that.” You know, it’s been that way since the beginning of time. What people need is God. Mother Teresa didn’t have a computer. She had one change of clothes. She seemed like a pretty happy woman, didn’t she?. She had nothing else except God in her soul. Our souls are meant to be ready for God’s presence. Like the temple in the Old Testament and like our beautiful church which is a testimony, by the way, of your great love. Everything here is your love for our good Lord made present. We must do what is necessary to make our souls a resting place for Him to come and dwell within us. Realize the gift of Him that dwells in your soul. The same Him who dwells in the Blessed Sacrament. The same Him who dwells in the temple. The same Him who dwells in Heaven. And, when you realize that gift, and achieve the constant realization of that gift, you will do anything to preserve it.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you rid your soul of whatever hinders God from residing there?
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes. From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page). There is also a search box if looking for a specific topic.
