Honoring God

First, Second & Third Commandments

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

“I am the Lord, your God: you shall not have strange gods

before me”

Overview

How do we live this commandment?What is idolatry?

Ancient Modern

What are the other sins against the first commandment?

Living the First Commandment

Commitment to God and His Law Living the Theological Virtues

Have faith in GodPut your hope in GodLove God completely

Theological Virtues The gifts given to us by God to enable us to

know God as God and lead us to union with him in mind and heart. Faith: help to freely accept God’s full revelation in

Jesus. We accept God’s revealed truth and respond in love to God and neighbor.

Hope: help to put our trust in God and expect both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it. Additionally the conviction that God’s grace is at work in the world.

Love: help to recognize and respond to the longing and desire for God and the selfless commitment to support the dignity and humanity or all people, solely because they are created by God in his image and likeness

Faith A gift from God to help us freely accept God’s full

revelation in Jesus. We accept God’s revealed truth and respond in love to God and neighbor.

Sins against Faith: Disregarding the truths of faith Questioning them without further investigation Heresy, which is the denial of an essential truth of our faith Apostasy, which is a complete rejection of the Christian

faith

Hope A gift from God that helps us to put our

trust in God and expect both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it. Additionally the conviction that God’s grace is at work in the world.

Sins against this virtue areDespair, stop believing that God cares for usPresumption, that will save us because of our

own efforts or even if we do not reform our lives

Love

A gift from God that helps us to recognize and respond to the longing and desire for God and the selfless commitment to support the dignity and humanity or all people, solely because they are created by God in his image and likeness

Sins against this virtue are Hatred, from pride that denies God’s goodness

Living the Virtues Adoration Acknowledging God as creator, savior, as the gift giver who

provides our salvation. He is eternal Love

Prayer Primary means to strengthening our relationship with God liturgy

Sacrifice Follow the example of Christ lading a life of sacrificial love

Fast and abstinence Service to others Celebrating the Eucharist

Promises & vows Keep our promises to God

Made at Baptism and Confirmation Evangelical counsels; Going beyond the Ten commandments

poverty, chastity, obedience

Idolatry Ancient

Worship of other beings, creatures or material goods in a way that it fitting for God alone

Pantheon of gods Baal and Asherah

Modern Wealth and material

goods Pursuit of success or

fame Addictions

1. Has your focus on the things in question affected your relationship with God?

2. Has it caused you to spend less time in prayer, miss Mass, or be uncomfortable around you faith community?

3. Has it affected your relationship with family and friends?4. Do you spend less time with them?5. Is it causing you to keep secrets?

Sins against the 1st Commandment

Sinful excesses of Religion Superstition

Magic: believing in a supernatural power that comes from a source other than God

Giving objects or creatures power Black cats Mirrors, ladders Sacramentals used in a superstitious way

Divination: seeking knowledge through supernatural means apart from God

Astrology Palm reading Psychics

Sins against the 1st Commandment Irreligion

Sacrilege Abuse of a person, place or thing dedicated to God

and the worship of God

Simony The buying and selling of something spiritual such

as grace or indulgences or even cures.

Atheism The denial of the existence of God

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

“You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord, Your God

in Vain”

Overview

Responding to the sacredness of God, “reverence”

Keeping sacred commitments Sins against the 2nd

Commandment

“Reverence” Using God’s name only for good purposes

Bless, praise or glorifyShowing reverence for God and his sacred

name is showing true faithReverence in our daily lives and actions

Reverence for creation Reverence for each other Profanity is the opposite of reverence

Treating or speaking of something sacred disrespectfully

The Name of God

A person and his/her name are closely connected. Misuse of someone’s name would cause injury.

God’s name “Yahweh” is given in trust to Moses by God. Jesus tells us to keep God’s name sacred when he teaches

the Lord’s Prayer Out of respect for God, the Jewish people do not say or

write God’s name. The word “vain” indicates not important, doesn’t mean much It is sinful to us God’s name without the respect it deserves,

Names Can indicate something about the named.

Yahweh- I am who I amMoses- to draw outJesus- God savesEve – mother of all thingsAdam- first manMatthew- gift from God

Baptism and Confirmation names should have significance

Keeping sacred commitments Vows made in God’s name. A life lived as a committed life with goals

an accomplishments is a full, happy life.Person

Persons who make a commitment to others

Group Groups who promise some kind of commitment

Cause Promises to uphold or eliminate a practice or policy

Sacred Commitments Covenants Promises made to God or each other Swearing in of public servants Marriage Sacraments Testimony Lenten promises

Sins against the 2nd Commandment

BlasphemySpeaking, acting or thinking about God, Jesus

Christ, the Blessed Virgin or the saints in a way that is irreverent, mocking or offensive

PerjuryLying about the truth while under oath, “So

help me God” Undermines the law and order of the community

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

“Remember to Keep Holy the Sabbath

(Lord’s )Day"

Overview

Observing the Sabbath Day The Sabbath and Sunday

Keeping Sunday Holy

Observing the Sabbath Origin

Creation (Gen. 2: 2-3)

Significance Reminder to live a balanced life There are more important things than “making a dollar” “The Sabbath was made for man, man not made for the

Sabbath” Reminder of God’s saving action Part of the Law No work to be done on the Sabbath

Slaves, animals, land

A Short History, Judaism

Jewish Sabbath “Keep holy the Sabbath”Sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday

Evening came, morning followed God rested on the 7th day

Celebration Special meal Synagogue services Reading and study of the Torah Leisure activities with family and friends

A Short History, Christianity

SundayResurrection happened shortly after the

Sabbath, first day of the weekThe First Day

Re-creation, Christ made all things new again, a new beginning

On the first Day “Let there be light”- Jesus is the light of the world

Keeping Sunday Holy Attending Mass

Opportunity to praise and worship God as a community- with one voice

Fed and strengthened by the Eucharist

Works of service and charity Make time for those charitable works that we cannot

do during the week because of our obligations, beginning with the needs of our family

Sunday rest Goes back to the original reason for the Sabbath- to

rest We re-create ourselves

Eschatological Dimension Rest, worship of God and peace and joy

foreshadow the afterlife in HeavenEternal restKingdom of God

Peace Justice Love Doing God’s will

The “Eighth Day”