Friday, July 28, 2023

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 13:18-23)

Secularists go too far when they argue that the Ten Commandments are a religious code with no place in a civil court. Of course, they are found in the Bible, precisely in the Book of Exodus which is read today.  But they form the basis of the natural law which binds everyone. 

Some may argue that the first three commandments are blatantly religious as they pertain to God.  But a satisfactory case may be made that they are not religious in nature.  Indeed, they only give words to concerns of justice.  Regarding the First Commandment, it is reasonable that God, a Creator, exists and as such should be recognized.  This is not necessarily the loving God of faith.  Regarding the Second, the command prohibits the use of God’s name as a testimony to a false statement.  In other words, people should not try to make a falsehood true by invoking God as their witness.  The Third Commandment recognizes the body’s as well as the soul’s need for rest at least one day a week.  Muslims take their rest on Friday; Jews, on Saturday, and Christians, on Sunday.  All comply with this mandate.

We may have heard the statement, “Love and do what you will.” If we always knew how to love truly, we could agree.  But as fallible as humans are, we need the Ten Commandments so that our love may be on the mark.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 13:18-23)

People often speak of the necessity to set boundaries.  These are limits that allow relationships to develop without friction.  For example, a person may tell friends that he does not want to be called after 10 p.m.  Often boundaries are implied by the nature of a relationship.  Teachers should not date their students even when both are adults. 

In the first reading today God sets boundaries for humans.  Not keeping the Sabbath or stealing injures our relationship with the Lord.  It should be noted, however, that a literal observance of the Ten Commandments hardly fulfills one’s responsibilities as a Christian.  It is not enough that she refrain from worshipping idols; she must also love God with her whole mind and heart.  It is not enough that he not covet his neighbor’s wife; he must love his neighbor as himself.  This is why, when asked, Jesus did not name any of the Ten Commandments as the greatest.

In writing his moral theology Thomas Aquinas did not concentrate on the commandments.  He realized that if we are to come to know God, we have to do much more than follow rules.  We have to practice virtue.  This is a huge task that might exhaust us from the get-go except for the Holy Spirit.  God breathes this life into our bones so that we might not only avoid evil but also might do good.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Wednesday of the Third Week in Lent

(Deuteronomy 4:1.5-9; Matthew 5:17-19)

When Judge Roy Moore of Alabama was prohibited by the federal court from displaying the Ten Commandments in his courtroom, he brought the Commandments to the people.  He hauled around a two and a half ton granite monument with the Ten Commandments inscribed.  In his meanderings he argued that the Decalogue forming the basis of law has a place in a government forum.  It is a similar message to what we hear in the Scripture readings today.

In the passage from Deuteronomy Moses exhorts the people to observe the whole law which is based on the Ten Commandments.  Jesus says in the gospel that he will not subtract an iota from that law but means to fulfill them.  In the following section of the Sermon on the Mount he shows that self-sacrificing love is necessary to establish full justice.

At times the Ten Commandments seem like rules for children.  However, we must recognize the different levels -- most often hidden – to which they are applied.  For example, the Fourth Commandments not only admonishes us to obey our parents in our youth but to care for them in their old age.  It further requires us to comply with the laws of the land and to contribute to the common good.  Read properly, the Ten Commandments anticipate the whole natural law which well serves as the basis of positive laws decreed by the state.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 13:18-23)

Grandparents sometimes kid, “If we knew how much fun it would be to be grandparents, we wouldn’t have bothered having children but have had grandchildren right off.”  They are referring to the joy of seeing the wonder of children without all the responsibilities of assuring their growth.  But increasingly grandparents take on those responsibilities as their own children give birth outside of marriage.  They will find a necessary resource for the task in today’s first reading.

The Ten Commandments, which the first reading dictates, serve as the basis of a true life.  Parents are wise to teach them to their children as early as possible.  Perhaps more importantly, they have to model them so the tragedy of one-parent families does not occur often.

Today we celebrate Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.  Although they are known them strictly through legend, we can assume that they were God-loving people who practiced the Ten Commandments and handed them on to their children and grandchildren.

Homilette for Friday, July 24, 2009

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 13:18-23)

We recognize the Ten Commandments or Decalogue in the first reading today not only because we likely engraved these rules in our brains as children but also because they are written on our hearts as natural law. That is, they hold not just for Jews and Christians but for every person, with due contextualization and provisions.

A number of years ago a retired judge from Alabama hauled around the country a 5000 pound granite monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments. He wanted to impress on everyone he met that the Decalogue is more than a personal code for one to live by. Rather it forms a coherent basis of law for a society or nation. Although the Ten Commandments mention God and even prescribe worship of Him, it is not primarily a religious code but, again, the ground for nation-building.

We may sometimes resent the commandments because they seem to inhibit our lifestyle. Perhaps we want to work on Sunday or avoid problems by lying in defiance of the commandment not to bear false witnesses. Such resentment is only unfortunate because it blurs our seeing the Commandments as a sign of God’s great mercy. In attending to them we live a worthy life. By infusing them with love, as Jesus tells us, we move well along the way to happiness.

Homilette for Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Tuesday, XXVIII Week of Ordinary Time

(Romans 1:16-25)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...” Most of us recognize these words from the Declaration of Independence almost as surely as we recognize the American flag. By speaking of truths that are “self-evident,” they imply a reality that many Americans have trouble seeing. That reality is the existence of a natural law which governs human actions.

In the reading from Romans today Paul makes reference to natural law. He is not talking about Jews when he writes, “...for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks.” Rather, he is referring to pagan Romans and Greeks who from observing human nature should be aware that their carnal excess is immoral. For this reason Paul is exhorting Christians Romans not to imitate these people.

Catholics especially believe that society should heed the natural law. We do not claim that it is always easy to discern its contents although its tenets in some cases like the prohibition of abortion and of so-called homosexual marriage are obvious enough. We also see the Ten Commandments as embodying the natural law and therefore there is no real need to ban its image in public courts.

Homilette for Friday, July 27, 2007

Friday, July 27, 2007

(Exodus 20)

Psychologists today speak often of boundaries. These are limits that allow relationships to develop without undo friction. People need to set boundaries which means to let others know how closely they intend to relate to another. In turn, the other person must respect those boundaries. For example, we may tell a friend from work that he should not call us after 10 p.m. Often boundaries are implied by the nature of a relationship. Teachers should not date their students even when they are both adults.

In the first reading today God sets his boundaries for humans. Not keeping the Sabbath or stealing injures our relationship with the Lord. We should note, however, that observing the Ten Commandments hardly fulfills our responsibilities as Christians. It is not enough that we refrain from worshipping idols; we must also love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is not enough that we do not covet our neighbor’s wife; we must love our neighbor as ourselves. This is why when asked, Jesus did not name any of the Ten Commandments as the greatest.

In writing his moral theology St. Thomas Aquinas did not concentrate on the commandments. He realized that if we are to be happy or, better, if we are to know God, we have to do much more than follow ten rules. No, he said, we have to practice virtue. This is a huge task that might exhaust some of us from the get-go except for the Holy Spirit. God breathes his life into our bones, as it were, so that we might not just avoid evil, but also that might do lots of good