YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME

OF THE LORD, YOUR GOD IN

VAIN
Second Commandment
Moses: you shall not utter the name
of Yahweh your god to misuse it.
(exodus 20: 7)

Jesus: our father in heaven holy be

your name (matthew 6:9)
 COMMANDS
• To respect the holy name of god. We must keep the holy name
of god in our heart with love and respect. We can use the name
of god only to bless, praise and glorify him.

• To announce the holy name of god. God wants us to be

missionaries and to proclaim his holy name to all peoples.

• To keep oaths and vows. The most common vows are the ones
of chastity, poverty, and obedience for the religious, and the
one of perfect fidedlity for married people.
 FORBIDS
• Blasphemy- it is mortal sin to utter words of hatred against god, jesus Christ, the virgin
mary, and the saints.

• To make false oaths in the name of god. Every false oath and promise in the name of god is a
serious offense to his holy name.
 keep

REMEMBER TO HOLY
THE SABBATH DAY
Third Commandment
• Moses: remember the Sabbath day and keep it. For six days you shall
labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh
your god. You shall do no work that day. For in six days Yahweh made
the heavens and sea and all these hold, but on the seventh day he rested;
that is why Yahweh has blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred
(exodus 20:8-11)
• Jesus: Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and went
into synagogue on the Sabbath day and he usually did (luke 4:16)
• Note: The Sabbath, the holy day of the Hebrews was replaced by Jesus
with the Sunday, the day of his resurrection.
 COMMANDS
• To participate in the Holy Mass. We must attend the holy mass on
sundays and holy days of obligation. We have also sanctify the Lord’s
day by means of prayer and good deeds. The holy days of obligation are:
Mary Mother of God (January 1); Epiphany (January 6); Saint Joseph
(March 19); Ascension (40 days after Easter); Corpus Domini (second
Sunday after Pentecost); Saints Peter and Paul (June 29); Assumption
(August 15); All Saints (November 1); Immaculate (December 8);
Christmas (December 25);
 FORBIDS
• Unnecessary servile work. We must avoid all the works which prevent us
form sanctify the Lord’s day. Policemen and other necessary servicemen
can work also on Sundays provided they will attend the Holy Mass on
Saturday Evening.
• To rest, play and enjoy without God. It is a great sin to spend the Lord’s
day concerned only for the body, without taking care of our spirit. God
warn us; where a man sows, there he reaps: if he corruption out of it; if
he sows in the field of the spirit he will get from it harvest of eternal life
(Galatians 6:8)
HONOR YOUR MOTHER
AND FATHER
Fourth Command
• Moses: Honor your father and your mother so that you may
have a long life in the land that Yahweh your God has given to
you (Exodus 20: 12)

• Jesus: Jesus went down with them and came to Nazareth and
lived under their authority (Luke 2:51)
 COMMANDS
• To honor our parents. We must love, respect, and obey our parents, because from
them we received our life. God said: With all your heart honor your father, never
forget the birthpangs of your mother. Remember that you owe your birth to them;
how can you repay them for what they have done for you? (Ecclesiasticus 7: 27-28)

• To honor the religious and civil authority. Jesus commands us to respect our priest
teachers, and civil authorities, because every priority comes from God. Scriptures
says: You must all obey the governing authorites. Since all government comes from
God, the civil authorities were appointed by God, so anyone who resist authority is
rebilling against God’s descision (Romans 13: 1-2)
 FORBIDS
• To dishonor and disobey our parents. God said: Children, be obedient to your parents
always (Colossians 3:20) Whoever abandons his own parents in their old age, will
have to give a bitter account on judgement day. The Lord said: my son, support your
father in his old age, do not grieve him during his life. Even if his mind should fail,
show him sympathy, do not despise him in your health and strength; for kindness to
a father shall not be forgotten but will serve as a reparation for our sins. The man
who deserts his father is not better than a blasphemer, and whoever angers his
mother is accursed by the Lord (Ecclesiastus 3 12-16)
• To love our parents more than God. This is true especially for those who are called
to the priestly and religious vocation. Jesus said: Anyone who prefers father or
mother to me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10: 37)
• To obey an evil authority. We must disobey our parents,
teachers, and superiors when they order us to do something
against the will of God. For example, we have to disobey the
civil authorities when they allow us to commit abortion,
divorce, artificial birth control. God said: Obedience to God
comes before obedience to men (Acts 5:29)
YOU SHALL NOT KILL
Fifth Commandment
 BBBB
• Moses: You shall not kill (Exodus 20: 13)

• Jesus: Put your sword back, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (matthew 26-
52)
 COMMANDS
• To safeguard life. The Lord alone is the owner of human life, we are only administrators.
Scripture says: God holds in his power the soul of every living thing, and the breath of each
man’s body (Job 12:10). We must heep good care of our own life of our own neighbor as
well.

• To respect our neighbor. Whenever we insult our neighbor we are killing him in his heart. As
Jesus said: You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors. You must not kill; and if anyone
does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry
with his brother will answer for it before the court (Matthew 5:21-22)
 FORBIDS
• Murder. To kill the innocent is one of the greatest sin, and deserves eternal damnation. God
curse Cain because he killed his brother Abel: What have you done? Listen to the sound of
your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground. Now be accursed and driven from
the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands (Genesis
4:10-11). We are allowed to kill only for self defense or during just war.
• Suicide. No body has the right to commit suicide. Our life belongs to God. We are not the
owners of our life, but only the custodians.
• Abortion. Abortion is murder! Whoever commits or cooperates in such crime is
excommunicated by the church. Those who are excommunicated cannot receive any
sacrament and unless they repent, after their death are thrown down to the fires of hell. Man
starts his excistence from the moment of conception. As God said: Before I formed you in
the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5). The
nations that approved abortion will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah. It is written:
Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire form Yahweh. He overthrew
these towns and the whole plain, with all the inhabitants of the towns (Genesis 19: 24-25)
• Euthanasia. It is a shameful sin to kill the old, sick, and abnormal people. In case of
incurable sickness we may stop extraordinary means, but we have to continue the ordinary
ones. Whoever practices euthanasia is a murderer.

• To use drugs and other dangerous substances. We must avoid everything which is harmful to
our health of our neighbor. It is a sin to abuse food, alcohol, and tobacco, Using and pushing
drugs is a greater sin, because it promotes stealing, prostitution and murder.
 YOU SHALL NOT
COMMIT ADULTERY
Sixth Commandment
• Moses: None of you may approach a woman who is closely related to him, to uncover her
nakedness. You must not uncover nakedness of your father or mothe. You must not uncover
the nakedness of your sister, nor of your daughter. This is a hateful thing. You must not lie
with any animal. Anyone who does one of these hateful things, must be cut off his people
(Leviticus 18: 6-29)

• Jesus: Happy the pure of heart: They shall see God (Matthew 5: 8)
 COMMANDS
• Chastity. To be chatse means to use our sexuality according to the will of God. Those who
are married must love their spouse, and have many children. Those who are not married
must abstain from any sexual activity. Chastity is possible with the help of prayer, of self
control, and by avoiding occasion of sin. The chatse man will be happy and blessed by God.
As scripture says: Happy all those who fear Yahweh and follow his paths. You will eat what
your hands have worked for, happiness and prosperity will be yours. Your wife: a fruitful
vine on the inner walls of your house. Your sons around your table like shoots round an olive
tree (Psalm 128: 1-3)
 FORBIDS
• Fornication. It is the sexual union between man and woman outside the sacrament of
Marriage. Those who live-in, or who have only civil marriage, are also guilty of
fornification.

• Homosexuality. Whoever has a sexual relation with a person of the same sex will not enter
into the kingdom of God. Scripture says: The sodomites will never inherit the kingdom of
God (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10)
• Masturbation. It is a mortal sin because it is against the proper use of sexuality, which
implies love for the spouse and opening to the gift of life.

• Pornography. To sell, buy, or use pornographic material is a mortal sin. Pornography is the
ruin of the spirit, specially of the youth. Whoever promotes pornography is cursed by God.

• Child Abuse. To have sexual relations with children is a hateful sin. It is better to die than to
abuse children. Jesus said: Anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones
who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great milestone round his neck
(Mark 9:42)
• Prostitution. To buy and sell our own body, or the body of others, is a scandalous sin. As
Scripture says: Your bodies are members making up the body of Christ; do you think I can
take parts of Christ’s body and join them to the body of prostitute? Never! (1 Corinthians 6:
15)

• Artificial Birth Control. Whoever uses the contraceptives commits a great sin, because he
deprives marriage of the gift of children. Every marital act must express love and open life.
Whoever restricts the mission received from God, who said: Be Fruitful and multiply
(Genesis 1:28)
• Premarital Sex. To have sexual relation before the holy sacrament of marriage is a sin of
fornication. Jesus said: A man must leave father and mother, and the two become one body
(Mark10: 7). To leave father and mother implies the sacrament of marriage.
YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
Seventh Commandment
• Moses: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)

• Jesus: If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments: You must not steal (Matthew
19:17-18)
 COMMANDS
• To respect the property of our neighbor. We musr no steal abuse, or destroy the property of
others. We have to keep with care whatever we borrow, and to return it as soon as possible.

• To share our goods with the poor. We have the right to posses private goods, but also the
duty to share them with the poor. The generous man will receive his reward in heaven. As
Jesus said: Come you whom my father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom
prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food;
I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was stranger and you made me welcome; I was naked
and you clothed me (Matthew 25: 34-36)
• To return what we have stolen. If it is impossible to find the owner again, we have to give
the corresponding stolen amount to the poor or to the church. Let us follow the example of
Zaccheus, who said: Lord I am going to give half of my property to the poor, and if I have
cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount (Luke 19: 8)

• To work. Every man must work to support himself and his family. Also Jesus was working
for 30 years as a carpenter in Nazareth. Our work should be accompanied by prayer,
according to the famous motto of Saint Benedict: “ORA ET LABORA” (pray and work)
 FORBIDS
• To steal. Other forms of stealing are: cheating in business, not paying just wages, not paying
taxes, not paying just debts, not returning found or borrowed article, grafts, and accepting
stolen properties. God detest the thieves, as he said: Thieves and usurers will never enter the
kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6: 10). We can get the things of others only to save our life
and the life of our family.
• To be stingy with the poor. Those who are stingy, will end like the rich man of the Gospel. In
this earth he used to dress in purple and feast manificently every day, denying even the
scraps of bread to poor Lazarus seated at his gate. After their death, the rich man was thrown
into hell, while Lazarus was taken up into heaven. The rich man in his torments cried out in
heaven, but Abraham replied: My son, remember that during your life was good things came
into your way, just as bad things came the way of Lazarus. Now he is being comforted here
while you are in agony (Luke 16: 25)
YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE
WITNESS AGAINST YOUR
NEIGHBOR
Eight Commandment
• Moses: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20: 16)

• Jesus: If you make my word your home you will indeed my disciples, you will learn the
truth and the truth will make you free (John 8: 31-32)
 COMMANDS
• Truthfulness. We must always say the truth. The truth comes from God
while the falsehood comes from the devil. Jesus said: All you need is
YES if you mean yes, NO if you mean no; anything more than this
comes from the evil one (Matthew 5: 37) The truthful man is loved by
God and admired by men.

• To testify our faith. We musr testify the truth of our faith in words and
deeds. Scripture says: Always have the answer ready for the people who
ask you the reason for the hope that you all have (1 Peter 3: 15). The
martyrs are the heroes of our faith, because they testified it till death. To
die as a martyr is one of the greatest honor we can receive by God.
• To correct our neighbor. We must correct our neighbor in truth
and love. Jesus said: If your brother does something wrong, go
and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he
listens to you, you have won back your brother (Matthew 18:
15). If we do not correct our brother when he is wrong, we
become accomplices of his sins.

• To accept the brotherly correction. We have to be humble and

to accept a brotherly correction. The proud man will never
accept any correction. The humble one accepts the correction
and puts remedy to his sins.
• To respect the good name of our neighbor. We
must keep the name of our neighbor with respect
and honor. God said: Be sure you are never
spiteful or deceitful, or hypocritical, or envious
and critical of each other (1 Peter 2: 1)

• To remedy for our lies. We must say sorry for all

the lies we have said, and to remedy in the best
possible way.
 FORBIDS
• To lie. It is a mortal sin to lie with the intention of harming our
neighbor. The liar is the son of the Devil. The liar is the son of the
Devil. As Jesus said: The devil is your father, and you prefer to do
what your father wants. He was never grounded in truth; there is no
truth in him at all: he is a liar and the father of lies ( John 8: 44)
• Hypocrisy. We must not behave in a false and ambivalent way in
order to attain favors, or to cheat our neighbor. We have to be frank
and sincere in everything we do.
• Gossip. We must not reveal the defects and the short comings of our
neighbor to other people.
• Slander. We must not utter false accusations that will destroys the
good reputation of our neighbor.
• Irony. We must not destroy the good name of our
neighbor by making fun of him. Jesus said: See that you
never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that
their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of
my farher in heaven (Matthew 18: 10)

• To reveal secrets. We must not reveal a personal or

professional secret secret, unless there is a very serious
reason. If a priest violates the secret of confession, he is
excommunicated.
YOU SHALL NOT COVET
YOUR NEIGHBOR’S WIFE
Ninth Commandment
• Moses: You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife (Exodus 20: 17)

• Jesus: You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you:
if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already commited adultery with her in his heart
(Matthew 5: 27-28)
 COMMANDS
• To love our own spose. Those who are united by the sacrament of marriage must love each
other till death. As scripture says: Each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself;
and let every wife respect her husband (Ephesians 5: 33)

• To be pure heart. To be pure of heart means to walk according to the spirit, not according to
the flesh. Scripture says: if you are guided by the spirit you will be no danger of yielding to
the flesh. When the flesh is at work and the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency
and sexual irresponsibility. What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5: 16-22)
 FORBIDS
• Adultery. It is a very big sin to have a sexual relation with a married person. Jesus said: You
must not commit adultery. You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery.
But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already commited adultery
with her in his heart (Matthew 5: 27-28)
• Divorce. Whoever divorces from his spouse, for whatever reason, is running towards eternal
damnation Jesus said: What God is united, man must not divide. The man who divorces his
wife and marries another is guilty of adultery against her (Mark 10: 9-10). Divorced people
who live-in with another person, or who remarry under civil law, cannot receive any
sacrament. Those countries that approve divorce are abandoned by God and will end in
ruins.
• Polygamy. It is against the will of God to have more than one wife. Because God said: This
is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, and they become
one body (Genesis 2: 24)
 YOU SHALL NOT COVET
YOUR NEIGHBOR’S GOODS
Tenth Commandment
• Moses: You shall not set your heart on your neighbor’s house on his field, his servant, his
ox, his donkey or anything that is his (Deutronomy 5:21)

• Jesus: None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions (Luke 14: 33)
 COMMANDS
• Spirit of poverty. The rich are never happy with what they have, while the poor in spirit are
satisfied of what the Lord has given them. Jesus said: Happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is
the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5: 3). To be poor in spirit means to be sure that the Lord
will provide for our material and spiritual needs. Jesus said: Set your hearts on the kingdom
first and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well
(Matthew 6: 33)

• To give up everything and follow Jesus. One day a young rich man ask Jesus: Good master,
what have I to do inherit eternal life? And Jesus told him to observe the commandments. The
young said he did it since childhood. So Jesus replied: There is still one thing you lack. Sell
all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
then come, follow me (Luke 18: 18-22)
 FORBIDS
• Envy. We must not be sad or angry for the good fortune of our neighbor. Envy is one of the 7
capital sins, and it is the cause of multitude of sins. It was out of envy that Cain killed his
brother Abel (Genesis 4: 3-7). The envious man is son of the Devil. As God said: It was the
Devil’s envy that brought death into the world, as those who are his partners will discover
(Wisdom 2: 24)

• Greed. We must not crave endlessly for material goods. Jesus said: Do not store up treasures
of yourselves on earth, but store up treasures for yourselves in heaven. For where is your
treasure is, there will you heart be also. No one can be slave of two masters. You cannot be
the slave of both God and of Money (Matthew 6: 19-21. 24)