The commandments

In order to be saved we must beleive what God has reveiled and keep his law. The two greate commandments are Thou shalt love the lord thy God with thy whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and with thy whole strength, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. To do this we must keep the commandments of God and the Church.

The 10 Commandments are:

1 I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before me.

2 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3 Remember thou keep holy the Lord's day.

4 Honor thy father and thy mother.

5 Thou shalt not kill.

6 Thou shalt not commit adultary.

7 Thou shalt not steal.

8 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

9 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.

10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.

The first commandment tells us to offer God alone the supreme worship that is due to Him, by acts of faith, hope and charity, and by adoring and praying to him. A sin against faith occurs when a Catholic does not beleive what God has reveiled. The sins against hope are presumption & despair. The cheif sins against charity are hatred of God and thy neighbour, envy, sloth and scandal.

The first commandment does not forbid us to honour saints or ask them for prayers on our behalf. Images such as Crucifixes or statues remind us of God or one of his saints, we do not pray to the image but the person it reminds us of.

The second commandment compels us to speake with reverance of God, the saints and holy things. Takeing his name in vain means useing the name of God in a way that is not reverent.

The third commandment commands us to worship God in a special way on Sundays, the Church commands us to assist at Mass and to refrain from unnecessary servile work.

The forth commandment forbids disrespect, unkindness and disobediance to our parents. It commands us to love, respect and obey our parents.

The fifth commandment compels us to take care of our neighbour's spiritual and bodily well being, it forbids murder and suicide, fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, drunkenness, recklessness and bad example.

The sixth commandment commands us to be pure and modest by avoiding impurity and immodesty in words, looks and actions.

The seventh commandment forbids dishonesty such as stealing, cheating and damage to other's property. We must return all goods that are stolen to their owner.

The eighth commandment tells us to speake the truth in all things. It forbids all lieing and harming the name of another.

The Ninth commandment forbids all thoughts and actions contrary to chastity, meaning our thoughts and actions must be pure in desire.

The tenth commandment forbids all desire to take or keep unjustly that which belongs to others and forbids envy at their success.

The six cheif laws of the Church are;

1 To assist at Mass on all Sundays and Holydays of obligation.

2 To fast and to abstain on the days appointed.

3 To confess our sins at least once a year.

4 To receive Holy communion during the Easter time.

5 To contribute to the support of the church.

6 To observe the laws of the Church concerning marriage.

A Catholic who through his own fault misses Mass on a Sunday or Holyday commits a mortal sin. A fast day is a day on which only one full meal is allowed. Small amounts of food are permitted in the morning and at night, applicable to those 21 and over. A day of abstinance is a day when we are not permitted to eat meat. All Catholics over 14 must observe this law, provided they have reached the use of reason.

The commandment to confess our sins at least once a year is meant that we are strictly obliged to make a food confession at least once a year, if we have a mortal sin to confess. A Catholic who neglects to receive communion during Easter commits a mortal sin. The commandment to contribute to the support of the Church is meant that we must help to pay the expenses of the Church. The ordinary law of the Church concerning marriages is that a Catholic can only be married in the presence of an authorized preist and two witnesses.