A Beacon Of Light . . . Teacher, What Must I Do To Have Eternal Life?

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.

(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)

• + + We begin by posing the following question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” The next section of the Catechism explains the importance of the Ten Commandments, not as tough laws we must follow, but as a way of life. The young man in the Gospel recognizes the necessity of doing “good deeds” to have eternal life.
  Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the “One who is good,” as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: “If you would enter life, keep the Commandments.”
  He cites for His questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” Finally Jesus sums up these Commandments positively: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2052).
  Jesus’ responses to the young man are not solely centered on fulfilling the laws as prescribed, but imply something more. The Commandments are elevated to a new level. What are often seen as restrictive and obligatory are transformed into reminders of God’s love. These “new Commandments” include our participation with the Spirit, who is at the heart of the Commandments.
  There are difficulties in understanding this type of nuance regarding the Commandments, but it really isn’t anything new. The Old Testament of Sacred Scripture sets the foundation needed to understand the development of the Commandments. In the Old Testament, we find what we call the Decalogue. This means “ten words” and refers to the “ten words” or Commandments written by the finger of God. These are the words spoken by God to Moses on the holy mountain and are handed on in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy.
  If we look at the Commandments by themselves they lack a certain fulfillment. They are only complete when united to Christ in the New Covenant. The whole purpose of the Commandments was to unite a people as one. It was the Israelite people, and seemingly all of humanity, who were saved from slavery in Egypt where God’s great liberating power was felt.
  The Decalogue, or the Commandments, present the people of God not with something negative and prohibitive but with a path to new life:
  “If you love the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply” (CCC, n. 2057).
  The Commandments are only understood in the covenant made between God and His Chosen People. Our moral life finds meaning through this covenant. The First Commandment reminds us of the salvific action of the Exodus from slavery in sin, to freedom in the Promised Land. Thus, we are called upon to honor the Lord, our God, whose actions freed us from the snare of Pharaoh’s grip.
  This requires from us an act of thanksgiving because the process of conversion has begun within us. The Commandments are a covenant between God and His people, but there is something more important happening here. This covenant is the first time God revealed Himself to us, in particular, by revealing His name.

“I AM”

What would seem like insignificant moments in Sacred Scripture are actually great moments of discovery. The very interaction between Moses and God on the mountain of Horeb, is the central point of the Commandments. God reveals Himself to us and speaks to us in the first person. God says, “I AM.” He establishes a personal relationship with us, in order that we might move forward in the journey of faith.
Entering into this “divine relationship” denotes a belonging to God. He as the Creator, has chosen us His children, and ignites a response to God’s love. The acknowledgment and homage given to God is but a form of worship and thanksgiving that leads to cooperation in God’s plan of salvation.
There is another proof, however, that demonstrates God’s love in the Commandments. In God’s dealings with His people, God always makes His will known to us. We, in turn, hear and experience God’s love in the actions of His love for us.
The Church’s Tradition has always upheld the significance of the Commandments in the lives of the faithful. For centuries, the Church has sought to catechize the faithful, especially catechumens for Baptism. Why? Because the catechumens, as a depiction of the chosen people of Israel, are journeying to the Promised Land of true faith found in the Catholic Church.
St. Augustine recognized this and was responsible for encouraging the primordial place of the Commandments in the life of the faithful. This is still revered today. Children are taught using rhymes and memorization to impart these important moral principles of our faith. Catechumens are led on a journey that leads to a “New Covenant” in Christ Jesus.

Part Of God’s Revelation

Having spoken of the significance the Commandments play in the lives of the faithful, we can further break down the Ten Commandments into two parts. The First Three Commandments are focused on our relationship with God. These include: I am the Lord Your God, you shall have no other God beside me….You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God in vain….Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
These first three Commandments were written on a separate tablet because of their importance. Our love of God is of the highest importance and the rewards we receive, from loving God, equip us in living out other aspects of our lives. The last seven Commandments focus us on our love of neighbor and are written on a separate tablet.
Our love of God is not selfish, that is, to be kept to ourselves; rather, it is a sharing love that goes beyond the boundaries of ourselves to include our neighbors. The seven Commandments that deal with our neighbor are:
Honor your father and your mother. . . . You shall not kill. . . . You shall not commit adultery. . . . You shall not steal. . . . You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. . . . You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. . . . You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
These seven, by themselves, have no foundation unless linked to the first three where we love God first. One cannot honor another person without blessing God the Creator. One cannot adore God without loving all men, His creatures. The Decalogue brings man’s religious and social life into unity.
The Ten Commandments are part of God’s Revelation. Through them God has imprinted on our hearts the natural law. The Commandments assist us in living out the natural law by keeping our minds fixed on what is right. Having seen the corruption of humanity, God uses the Commandments to remind us of our obligation to follow the natural law.
Accessible through our reason, the Commandments are revealed to us because of the sinfulness we received by the cunningness of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Fully understanding the Commandments is found through our examination of conscience and sin. They play a primary role in assisting us in this examination because they refocus us in our gaze toward the good.

They Are Not The Ten “Suggestions”

The Commandments are not “suggestions” but are requirements handed on to us by a loving God. God’s desires for humanity to attain the fullness of grace with the Blessed in Heaven. This, however, requires from us a participation in the desire of God. We must freely choose this desire as well, the desire to one day be in Heaven. Thus, participation in the blessedness of Heaven is an act of obedience. We must have obedience to the will of God in following the Ten Commandments as revealed on Mt. Horeb.
Over the next few weeks we will look more deeply into each Commandment, reminding ourselves of the path God has given in attaining everlasting life.