If you do not have Adobe Reader double click on the button to receive  the latest version of Adobe      Reader.

Click here for PDF Format  

Keeping the 1^st Commandment

 Comparing that obligation to keeping the other Commandments

So far in this series, we have looked at the 1^st Commandment and compared it to four of the other 10 Commandments.   There are three more that we can cover today:  Commandments 2, 3 and 4. 

Perhaps the easiest comparison is made of the 2^nd Commandment to the 1^st One.   If we are to worship the Lord with our whole self, while having no idols or strange gods to interfere in that devotion to God, then it makes sense that our thoughts and words will reflect that inner goal.

“You shall not take the Name of the Lord in vain” is the 2^nd Commandment.

In the original Hebrew text, the phrasing is quite intertwined to the 1^st Command—though it is a separate command.   The misuse of God’s Name can be a serious offense.  When people are enraged or distraught or all put out—some terrible words can be spewed out.   While God can take anything that we dish out, and He does want our true feelings in our prayers, it’s a thing to be careful about.  We need not get into some war of words with God.  Better chill.  (And soon apologize to God for it.)

In those persons who really are rebelling versus God, and hate God and His authority, or are under Satan’s spell—you can understand the bad language.  It’s an exposure of the darkness inside of them.

We pray for these enemies of God to be converted.  We pray for faltering believers to recover, too.

We are learning in our growing friendship with God that the Divine Being does like our praise and thanksgiving, as well as a respect for the Authority of His Name and appreciation of His titles.  In the Hebrew Testament revelation, for instance, we’ve re-learned how it was a big sin to use God’s Name casually or too familiarly, and certain exalted titles of God were not even allowed to be ever said and never fully written out.   Y-H-W-H is such an exalted title.   Recently, liturgical offices in the Vatican had sent out a word to all Catholics to refrain from too casually using this title of God.  (We had the title in many songs, for instance.)  They said that this insensitivity to God’s Name was hurting our present relationship with people of the Jewish Faith.   Jews were saying:  “If they don’t even respect the 2^nd Commandment, how can we dialogue with them about our One True God?”  

Plus, Catholics needed a better understanding of the titles of God and what they conveyed, such as in the exalted tetragrammaton (Y-H-W-H).    We also could better understand why Jesus calls Himself the “I AM” so much in His ministry, and how that identified His claim to divinity.

In more common circles, Catholics can be heard all too often taking Jesus’ Name or God Almighty’s Name or titles of God in a disgusting manner.   Sometimes the utterances are calling for damnation or a swearing of something, as in “G-D do such and such to you” or “I swear to ____ that I will…”

This language and choice of words with God’s Name is a witness that the Christian person using it still has a ways to go in learning what reverence is for God.   The Holy Spirit is quite willing to teach the Christian to act in a virtuous manner, as one of the Gifts of the Spirit is reverence (see Isaiah 11 and Catechism+), as any new Confirmand could tell you.  A person who does not know God wouldn’t be held to be so dear to God’s Name and titles; but we would hope that our love of God’s Name would catch their attention, though, so that they would want to know our great God.

For some time in the English language, a person who became greatly surprised or alarmed or taken aback would blurt out “Oh my ___!”  If it were used sparingly, one could understand that a person might be so startled of the heart, that such a calling out to God would be appropriate.  Today, however, that above phrase is used in a common, joking way that could demean God and His true attention over us.   Another form of it is “Oh L—D” in the blurting out.  Though it seems a small thing, should we casually use this phrase to convey a message of “how crazy!” or “how entertaining?”  Couldn’t we just say —how crazy?!—and leave His Holy Name out?! 

        KEEPING GOD’S FIRST COMMANDMENT ALONG WITH THE REST

Sometimes the misuse of language reveals a truth, such as that a real recognition of the Wonder and Awe of God may be missing in a person’s spiritual development (*we just mentioned another Gift of the Holy Spirit to be prayed for and applied). Those common God-phrases are just over used so much. I think in its original usage, it might have meant—that “this experience is so interesting or delightful that God must enjoy it.”  If it were used today in that limited context, I think it would be an innocent phrase.

Another misuse of our day is to say “Jesus Christ” in any way but as our Savior’s address.

Not so many confess the breaking of the Second Commandment anymore.  Not so often do I hear it admitted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  That’s odd, because I hear the abuse going on more and more in public. It’s offensive to God.  Think about it:  Parents do not like to be called crude names or overly teasing names of disrespect from children:  it’s as simple as that.  God is our Parent.   Jesus asked us to address the First Person of the Blessed Trinity as ABBA.  It is a loving address of a child to their Daddy.  

Another related Commandment to the First One is the Third One of “Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.”   In the Psalms of The Bible, it says that “God works through those who praise Him.”  When we are confessing good words to God from our mouths (that were rooted in good thoughts, see Philippians ch. 4, and Romans ch. 12), it certainly leads to the building up of our worship of God.  God finds way of possessing us, when we speak our openness to His will and His ways. When we speak holy beautiful words of God (like Napthali—an original tribe of Israel—see Joshua ch. 19) it leads to greater interest in praising God together with others with prayer and thanksgiving.   This movement is called worship.   The First Commandment is about worship of God.   It is about confessing Jesus is Lord, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 6:23 and 10:9).  It is about coming to Mass and joining in the angelic phrases such as “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” and “Glory to God in the highest.”   It is about naming God as our greatest love and focus of life.

When we learn to give our respect and worship to God and to His Name and authority, we can begin to apply the attitude better to those God has placed in our lives.   The Fourth Commandment is “Honor your father and mother.”   When you read the Catechism definition, we learn that there is more than a physical father and mother mentioned here, but to other authorities, as well, such as teachers, pastors, and those who assist us in government.  

Yet, a good place to start is our parents and the family we came from.

Many of us came from a Catholic or Christian background.   We had mothers and/or fathers in the Church before us.   We also had forefathers and foremothers of Jesus hearted faith in our family tree or spiritual tree of influence down to us through the ages.   Now it is our turn.

Do we believe in God?  Will we accept the traditions and beliefs passed down to us as a treasure of the generations?  Will we respect the martyrs and the many persons of great sacrifice to get the Word to us that Jesus Lives and Gives us Salvation?   When we do so—we are keeping an aspect of the Honor Your Parents Commandment of God.

Tomorrow I have a funeral.   A mother’s son is being buried.  He died in his fifties.   The Mass of Christian Burial will be a difficult one, yet there is one great joy that I wish to convey to the deceased’s mother.  I will say:  “Your son has been coming regularly to Church here at this parish… He has humbled himself to God and been a man of prayer…. He has had personal discussions about faith and God and meaning of life with his priest…  He has blessed you with keeping The Faith you passed on… He tried to witness to it to his children and grandchildren …Even in his weakness of life, and through his faults, he found ways to honor you, by His Heeding the First Commandment, to Love God, Whom you introduced Him to!”  I think this will be a comfort to his surviving mother.   The moment will be a connection of the Fourth and  the First Commandments.   We honor our parents if we follow their honor of God.

 Send mail to webmaster@stedwardbowie.org with questions or comments about this web site.