A Beacon Of Light . . . Understanding The First 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 received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)
- + + Today we will begin our study of the Ten Commandments. We begin by reflecting on the First Commandment which says: “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before me.”
If we are to examine this Commandment, we first must know who God is. To help us understand who God is, let us return to the First Vatican Council. The First Vatican Council (Concilium Vaticanum Primum) was convoked by Pope Pius IX on June 29, 1868. As stated by the First Vatican Council: “The Catholic Church believes that there is one true and living God, the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, Almighty, Eternal, Immense, Incomprehensible, Infinite in intellect and will and in all perfection, who, being One, Individual, altogether simple and unchangeable….”
Every time we pray the Nicene Creed, we are professing our belief in One God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 199, helps us to understand this better. “I believe in God”: This first affirmation of the Creed is also the most fundamental. The whole Creed speaks of God, and when it also speaks of man and of the world it does so in relation to God. The other articles of the Creed all depend on the first, just as the remaining Commandments make the first explicit. The other articles help us to know God better as He revealed Himself progressively to men. “The faithful first profess their belief in God.”
Faith, Hope, And Charity
Knowing God invites us to participate in the threefold knowledge of the theological virtues received in Baptism.
The virtue of faith requires us to believe in God. This belief in God involves the ability to protect and nourish our faith.
The virtue of hope invites us to work with God in understanding the fullness of divine love. We cannot fully respond to God’s love, so we rely on His help in hoping for everlasting life.
The virtue of charity calls us to love God above all things. This requires, on our part, a sincere heart that longs to love God.
Failure in living and understanding the importance of these virtues in our lives can cause us to disobey and fail in living this Commandment.
Now that we understand who God is, we can understand the First Commandment. This Commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This Commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.
When Moses received the Commandments, God instructed the people to worship Him alone. He was to be their God. They were to stop adoring false pagan gods, and to worship Him alone. God went so far as to tell them His name. He said: “I AM, WHO AM!” Sadly, the Israelite people fell into despair and soon returned to their false gods through worshiping the molten golden calf.
Simony, or the selling of ecclesiastical pardons or benefits, is another aspect of this Commandment. This was common during the medieval times when families ruled certain areas of the Papal States and often fathers and sons held the role of the local bishop. Oftentimes, these were occasions to “buy” a person’s prestige or feudal position in the area.
What are some of the other ways we fail in keeping this Commandment? What about involvement in occult practices like witchcraft, Ouija boards, seances, palm reading, tarot cards, black magic, and sorcery. Other ways we fail regarding the First Commandment could include: apostasy (leaving the Church), adherence to a schismatic group, participating in horoscopes, good luck charms, joining the Masons or other secret society.
Another sin that is often overlooked today is the sin of sacrilege. Sacrilege is when we receive the Lord in Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin. (Remember mortal sins are grave matter, we know the sin is gravely wrong, and we consent to doing it anyway.) Receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation, Matrimony, or Holy Orders while in the state of mortal sin is also wrong.
Today marriage in undergoing a struggle in society. Couples are often married by a justice of the peace or by a minister of another denomination. Doing this without the proper dispensation of the Church causes a couple to fail in living this Commandment.
Sometimes in the struggles of life we can get discouraged. Often these struggles spill over into our spiritual life, causing someone to deny the faith of the Catholic Church. This falls under this Commandment as well. Presumption is committing a mortal sin with the idea that you can just go to Confession. This often happens to people who have difficulty with a habitual sin. They presume the graces of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and continue in the sin.
Often the presence of habitual sin is an indication of possible underlying issues. In this instance, it is recommended to seek out one’s parish priest to assist in discerning what the underlying issue might be.
Buying or selling of spiritual things is connected to this Commandment as well. Recently, I was reminded of this because I was having a yard sale. In my collection of material goods, I had accumulated many religious articles, including statues. At my yard sale I put these religious articles out and people were invited to offer a donation to help the poor.
What about failure to receive Holy Communion at least once per year (if possible, during the Easter Season)? This is also important in our reflection.
Desecration of the Holy Eucharist is a most serious sin. What do we mean by this? Well today there are active satanic groups who seek to obtain and desecrate the Holy Eucharist. Our part in this could be something like receiving Holy Communion and not consuming the Lord, but rather, waiting until later. Another way we could desecrate the Lord is by burning the Sacred Host. Any kind of action that is done by not showing the reverence due to the Lord could fall under this Commandment.
Wow! There are lots of occasions where we could fail in living this Commandment. The above is only an example to assist us in examining our own conscience.
Where do we go from here? First, our understanding of the Commandments requires an understanding of who we are. We need to look inside our hearts and souls to see where we need conversion. Remember, a Catholic needs to examination his conscience. Remember our reason for doing the examination of conscience is to grow in the spiritual life. We also see how we are participating in the chaos happening around us. By thinking of these sins, we can then fix the problems.
This can be a great help in jump-starting a new life of faith. We use an examination of conscience to help us recall our sins and failings. This is most effective during a period of quiet reflection before approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation. An examination of conscience must be thorough. This helps in discerning things we may not be aware of. It’s also a chance to develop our consciences. This is a critical aid for the life of the Catholic. We need to have an informed conscience, meaning that we are well versed in the teachings of the Church and live a good moral life.
St. Francis De Sales
After reading this column, I hope we can see where we struggled in living the First Commandment by not loving God. What caused the struggle? How can we fix the problem and not repeat it again tomorrow? The daily examination of conscience helps us to grow in the spiritual life. Doing an examination of conscience might be hard at first, but don’t give up! Some of the greatest saints offer advice, as we open ourselves to a conversion of heart.
St. Francis De Sales was one of these. In his Introduction to the Devout Life St. Francis reminds his readers of the need to progress slowly. The spiritual life is a journey, and it takes time. St. Francis was fond of reminding his people to take baby steps.
We are striving to be saints; we are not there yet. Hopefully, our participation in understanding the Commandments will move us closer to where God is calling us to be. We are but pilgrims on a journey of faith, seeking to be saints!