A Beacon Of Light… A Closer Look At The Fifth Commandment
By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.
(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He is currently the parochial vicar of St. Andrew Parish in Colchester and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lebanon. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)
- + + We continue our examination of conscience by reflecting upon our participation in the chaos around us. Today we examine the Fifth Commandment: Thou Shall Not Kill. This Commandment touches upon many aspects of killing. Not only will we examine bodily killings, but emotional and spiritual killing. What do I mean by this? Let’s take a closer look at this Commandment.
Have I unjustly or intentionally killed a human being? This is a very disturbing question. The thought of unjustly or intentionally taking a human life is evil. Throughout history we have seen many people lose their lives through murder.
A few years after my Ordination, I found myself in a peculiar situation. I was called to the scene of a murder to assist the police in comforting the family of the deceased. To my surprise, the deceased was the mother of my chiropractor. I remember the palpable feeling of evil as I assisted in calming the survivors. The murder of a human being is wrong, and this evil action specifically adds to the chaos of our times.
Have I been involved in an abortion, directly or indirectly? The abortion of an innocent child is one of the most heinous crimes of our time. And yet, there are some who find the murder of a child in the womb legal. This is a total distortion of the moral and natural law.
The people who participate in abortion are many. Participation in this evil act not only affects the mother, but others as well. The doctors and nurses performing the procedure fail in living this Commandment. Those who are providing the financial means also fail. Even those who hold political office participate in the act of abortion. Any politician who votes for a bill that supports any kind of abortion, late term or at any time, commits a grave sin.
This is the most visible way we participate in the chaos of our times. The responsibility doesn’t stop there. Every time we vote in an election, we have a choice to continue being part of the murderous chaos of our time, or not. Each time we vote for a candidate who supports abortion we become participants in the very act of killing an innocent child.
So, to vote for someone like former Vice President Joe Biden or Sen. Kamala Harris, or virtually any Democrat for that matter, violates the Fifth Commandment and puts our souls in jeopardy.
The Difficulties Of Life
Have you ever seriously considered or attempted suicide? Each of us have been given life as a gift from God. One of the saddest days in my priestly ministry is celebrating the funeral of a suicide victim. These funerals are so hard to celebrate.
The difficulties of life also affect priests as well. A few years ago, one of my priest friends committed suicide. We were friends in the seminary and were across the hall from each other.
I never thought a priest would consider suicide, but we are human too. We need to pray for all those who are contemplating taking their lives. Pray that they may see how important they are; especially to God. Sadly, the thought of, or actual act of, taking one’s life is a failure of this Commandment.
Have I supported, promoted, or encouraged the practice of assisted suicide or mercy killing? The hardest day of someone’s life is learning that they have a terminal illness. Today there are so many people suffering from diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other terminal illnesses. The impact of these diseases is life changing. These life-changing moments in our life in no way give us permission to consider assisted suicide or euthanasia. These actions are not in accord with living our faith.
What about unjustly inflicted bodily harm on another person? Have I unjustly threatened another person with bodily harm, verbally or emotionally abused another person or hated another person, or wished him evil? These actions of bodily harm are not in accord with living this Commandment, and yet, we are experiencing this now.
For several months we see these very actions being perpetrated on others in society. These actions have become commonplace, instead of something rare. Political liberal leftist ideologies are destroying the very fabric of society. Those who participate and support these deplorable actions deny the importance and necessity of the Fifth Commandment.
Some other ways where we fail in living this Commandment are: driving recklessly or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, failing to follow the laws of the road, abusing alcohol or other drugs and selling or giving drugs to others to use for non-therapeutic purposes. Participation in these actions risk damaging and hurting another person’s life.
Have I encouraged others to sin by giving scandal? People learn by words and actions. What we say and what we do influences other actions. This is often forgotten. This Commandment reminds us of the possibility of causing scandal. How can we do this?
Recently we saw this unfold in a South Carolina town. Fr. Robert Morey, pastor of St. Anthony Catholic Church, found himself in a disturbing situation. As Fr. Morey was celebrating Mass, former Vice President Joe Biden presented himself for Holy Communion. We know through the media and through the Congressional Record that Joe Biden has been a supporter of abortion. Supporters of abortion are forbidden from receiving Holy Communion.
The action of Joe Biden presenting himself for Communion causes scandal and confuses the faithful. This action may cause others to follow, thinking it is OK. Doing so would drag another member of the faithful into the realm of sin.
Have I indulged in danger, refused to control my temper, or been mean to, quarreled with, or willfully hurt someone? Daily life presents us with difficult moments. Sometimes these moments cause our tempers to flare and our anger to get the best of us. In response to this anger we can easily quarrel, be mean to, or hurt someone. The best way to deal with this is to recognize what sets us off. Our daily examination of conscience can help us to pinpoint the cause.
Have I been unforgiving to others, when mercy or pardon was requested? Sometimes it is hard to forgive someone. Maybe the pain endured was so great we don’t know how to begin to forgive.
When we find ourselves in this moment, we can take comfort, because Jesus felt this all the time. Every time we sin, we hurt Jesus and the pain He feels is excruciating. Imagine for a moment: God creates us to do good, and by our own fault, we fail in doing good. Jesus felt the pain of our sins, the hurt of turning our backs on Him, but He still forgives us. We must be examples of the same forgiveness and mercy to others. May we not be unforgiving, but forgiving!
Animals Are A Gift
Have we sought revenge or hoped something bad would happen to someone? Do we delight in seeing someone get hurt or suffer? We have all heard the saying: “tit for tat.” Sometimes our anger and frustration cause us to seek revenge or hope for something bad to happen to another. This is wrong because it denies the opportunity for forgiveness. Instead of alleviating the situation, this kind of revenge makes the problem bigger and puts another wedge in the prospect for forgiveness. One bad action does not justify another bad action against another person.
Have I treated animals cruelly, causing them to suffer or die needlessly? Animals are a gift to us from God. They are meant to provide us comfort during the struggles of life. I have a dog named Bella and she is a Shih Tzu. She is one of the joys of my life. Each day I thank God for the companionship she brings to my priestly life. The thought of causing harm or hurting an animal cruelly is beyond me.
Now granted, there are some animals that are vicious and sometimes we need to take steps to protect others from this kind of animal, but usually animals are well tempered. Anyone who hurts or causes an animal to suffer needlessly violates this Commandment.
The Fifth Commandment is very important to us to consider. With the current situation of the world and nation, we need to be extra vigilant in making sure we examine our conscience regarding this Commandment.
The souls of so many depend on this Commandment. Next week we will examine the Sixth and the Ninth Commandments together. These two are uniquely united. Don’t forget to spend fifteen minutes each day to examine our hearts, minds, and actions.
