CHAPTER 7

Chapter 7

Love for
God
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all

your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. is is the greatest and the first
commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38).

Rules for Worshipping and Loving God

 The Ten Commandments in
Exodus and Deuteronomy
• Exodus: The Ten • Deuteronomy: The Ten
Commandments are Commandments
the way the Chosen represent a covenant or
people are delivered agreement.
from sin.

The Ten Commandments in Context

The Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord, your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.
Loving
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. God
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal. Loving
Neighbor
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

The Ten Commandments in Context

“I am the Lord your God: you shall not have
strange gods before me.”
• God created you in his image.
• God rescued you from sin.
• God won eternal life for you.
• God empowers you to live a Christlike life.

The First Commandment

Religion
• Religion is the relationship between
God and humans that results in a body
of beliefs and a set of practices by
those committed to serving and
worshipping God.
• The virtue of religion expresses itself in
worship of and service to God and, by
extension, service to all people and all
creation.
• Religion is the moral virtue that allows
you to live the First Commandment.
The First Commandment
Adoration Prayer
• praise and exhalation of God • praise
• acknowledging that without • thanks
him you would not exist • sorrow for sin
• petition of God’s help

Sacrifice Promises and Vows

• unification of yourself with • promises to God especially in
Christ's sacrifice at Mass the sacraments

The First Commandment

 Sins against the First Commandment
Idolatry Created gods can distract you from loving and worshipping the one, true God.

Superstition Superstition gives excessive or magical importance to external actions, like being in
the presence of certain objects or the recitation of certain words.

Divination Contradicts the honor, respect, and love due to God alone.

Magic A sinful and dangerous practice, because it can open the way to evil spirits and an
opposition to God.

Irreligion An absence of religion or hostility toward religion, it inclines a person to sins of

tempting God, sacrilege, or simony.

Atheism and Contradicts the virtue of religion because it rejects or denies God. It is a serious
Agnosticism offense.
 Sacrilege
From: sacrilegus (“sacrilegious”), sacer (“sacred,
holy”) + legō (“gather; take, steal”).

Meaning: Profane or unworthy treatment of the sacraments,

other liturgical actions, or persons, places, or things
consecrated to God.

Examples: Violence against a religious or priest, stealing from

a church, irreverence toward the Holy Eucharist
Modern Days Example of Idolatry
• Phones. If you're giving your electronic device more time and attention than
your loved ones, something's wrong.
• Image. Among all those pictures of yourself and all the great things in your life
on your phone and social media, are there any pictures of your church or
anything that would speak to the world of your faith in God?
• Success: It's particularly easy to make success an idol when you follow other
people's definitions, rather than God's.
• Work: Many people look to work for a sense of significance and security.
While there is nothing wrong with work, it can be dangerous when it drives
your decision-making to the point of completely ignoring God's ways and
desires, or we put it before things that are equally or more deserving of your
time.
Baptismal Name
“I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit…”

• Your baptismal name is sanctioned by your sharing in the intimacy of

God’s own sacred name in your Baptism, and it is by your baptismal
name that God will forever call you.

The Second Commandment

Keeping the Lord’s name holy
Catechism of the Catholic Church
• 2142 The second commandment prescribes respect for the Lord's name. Like the
first commandment, it belongs to the virtue of religion and more particularly it
governs our use of speech in sacred matters.
• 2143 Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the
revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he
reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The gift of a name belongs to the
order of trust and intimacy. "The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must
not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not
introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it.
• 2144 Respect for his name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of
God himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes. The sense of the sacred is
part of the virtue of religion.
The Second Commandment
 Sins against the Second
Commandment

Breaking
Swearing using
Blasphemy promises made in
God's name
the Lord's name

Perjury

The Second Commandment

The Third Commandment

• “Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day”

• Combination of Praying and Playing
• “The sabbath was made for man, not
man for the sabbath. is is why the Son of
Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark
2:27–28).
The Third Commandment
Holy Days of Obligation
Special days (other than Sundays) in the Church year when all Catholics are obliged to participate at Mass.

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the
solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a
Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is sometimes abrogated.

The Third Commandment

 Assignment
When is the next holy day in
the liturgical year? How can
you make this day a special
opportunity to grow closer to
Jesus rather than just an
obligation?
Sunday Eucharist

Failing to go to Mass in the

absence of sickness or some other
serious reason is a mortal sin.
References
• Slide 12: https://www.christiantoday.com/article/5-modern-day-
idols-that-are-taking-over-our-lives/84609.htm

• https://www.catholic.com/qa/why-we-have-holy-days-of-obligation