Christian living Lesson 11 Love, Honor.

And service to God

Shedding Light God loves us that he invites us to an intimate relationship with him. He provides for our needs, makes us happy through people around us and sustains us in our faith hope and charity through the church. The Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that God should be first in our lives. No amount of fame, fortune or power could ever be fitting substitute to God. The First Commandment I is the Lord your God you shall not have other Gods besides me (Ex 20: 2-3; Dt. 5:6-7) it enjoins us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Dt.6:50) The first commandment forbids any other gods than the Lord. It rules out all forms of idolatry such as obsession with wealth, human sexuality, politics, and personality cults. Our loving relationship with God is blocked by offenses against the virtue of faith, hope, charity and religion. Heresy- we offend God against the virtue of faith if we reject some teachings of Christen faith Apostasy- if we reject all Gds teachings We sin against the virtue of hope when we presume that we could go to Gods kingdom by our efforts alone without the need of Gods help or by Gods help alone and without our cooperation; or by despairing of Gods mercy. We sin against the virtue of charity by preferring other creatures to God, either turning away from Him (mortal sin) or without completely turning away from Him, choosing inordinately a created good (venial sin). Consequently all our sins are always sins against charity. Worst of all is the devils sin which is hatred of God and then hating our neighbors. Sin of omission- neglecting to help our neighbors We are called to honor God in the right way because He is worthy of all glory and honor. This is the virtue of religion. we sin against this when we offend God through superstition- wrong worship of God (believing in chain letters), idolatry (giving worship to some creatures) divination (inquiring about one future democracy, astrology, palmistry, horoscope and fortune telling) and vain observance (attributing to creatures things or certain powers that cannot be achieve by them but depend on god alone such as amulets, lucky charms, magic and witch craft) We need to reject all this form of irreligion- sacrilege (dishonoring and desecrating sacred persons like clerics and religious place like church and sacristy or things like crucifix and rosary; receiving the Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin)

Simony-(buying and selling spiritual goods) Impiety/irreverence (contempt for GOD, SAINTS, SACRED THINGS; lack of proper Sum in sacred places (chatting, laughing and misbehavior during prayers Liturgy, wearing of immodest dress in the church) laxity in religious duties (neglecting to go to mass on obligation, to pray and to receive the sacraments at appointed time.)

Second commandment You shall not take the Lord your God in vain Sin of blasphemy-an insult or curse against God, saints or sacred persons and tings cursing- invoking divine or supernatural powers to send injury or to harm upon the others Profanity- using sacred names in anger or impatience or by a habit of jokingly Preserve oath- swearing lies or to a promise one does not intend to keep Breaking of vows- marital vow Perjury- false oath or willful giving of false testimony especially in court which is a serious crime Third commandment Remember to keep holy the Sabbath ay Sabbath day remind us of the ultimate goal of creation