Submitted by: Submitted by meestericecream
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Category: Spirituality
Date Submitted: 07/03/2010 06:42 AM
EXPLANATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The entire law of Christ depends upon charity. And charity depends on two
precepts, one of which concerns loving God and the other concerns loving
our neighbor.
As we have already said, the
First Commandment forbids us to worship other than the one God. We shall
now consider five reasons for this.God's Dignity.--The first reason is the dignity of God which, were it
belittled-in any way, would be an injury to God. We see something similar
to this in the customs of men. Reverence is due to every degree of dignity
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." However, the
name of God may be taken for a purposes. To confirm something that
is said, as in an oath. In this we show God alone is the first Truth, and
also we show due reverence to God. For this reason it was commanded in the
Old Law that one must not swear except by God. They who swore otherwise
violated this order: "By the name of strange gods you shall not swear."
This is the Third Commandment of the law, and very suitably is it so. For we are first commanded to adore God in our hearts, and the Commandment is to worship one God. God wished that a certain day be set aside on which men direct their minds to the service of the Lord.
Perfection for man consists in the love of God and of neighbor. Now, the three Commandments which were written on the first tablet pertain to the love of God; for the love of neighbor there were the seven Commandments on the second tablet.Now, because we owe our birth to our parents, we ought to honor them more than any other superiors, because from such we receive only temporal things: "He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents, and will serve them as his masters that brought him into the world. Honor thy father in work and word and all patience, that a blessing may come upon thee from him.
In the divine law which tells us we must love God and...