STA.
TERESA COLLEGE
BAUAN BATANGAS
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 102
LESSON 8A: TEN COMMANDMENTS
Introduction
ON DIVINE LAW AND CONSCIENCE
The highest norm of human conduct is the law of God; it is
objective, universal, eternal. By this law of God directs the entire
universe and all the ways of mankind according to a plan conceived in
wisdom and love.
In the depths of his conscience man detects a law which he does
not impose upon himself but which holds him to obedience. Always
summoning him to do good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience can,
when necessary, speak to his heart more specifically; “do this, shun that.”
For man has in his heart a law written by God. To obey it is the very
dignity of man; according to it he will be judged.
Loving God perfectly means doing everything everyday in the way
He prefers us to do it, because we want to please Him. Carrying out
ordinary deeds of mercy in the name of Christ means doing them for the
love of Christ. Through these acts we show that we love Christ in the
members of His Mystical Body… the Church.
We should never be satisfied with merely keeping the
commandments of God and His Church. We should always be ready to
do good deeds even though they are not commanded. Real love never
says “enough’. It always tries to do all it can for the beloved.
Student Learning Objectives (SLO)
Understand the different laws as guiding principles to live as
disciples of Christ
Familiarize themselves on the Decalogue (10 Commandments)
Regard Christ as an example on how to live morally upright by
living the Commandments
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Content
DEFINITION OF TERMS
DECALOGUE – etymologically from the Greek words; “deka” ( ten ), and
“logos” (word); therefore “dekalogos”, means “ten words” /
Ten Commandments
LAW - is an ordinance of reason for the common good, promulgated by the
one who is in charge of the community
ETERNAL LAW - is the Divine Wisdom of God which oversees the
common good and governs everything.
> is God’s plan to lead all creation towards God’s eternal
salvific plan to be holy and blameless before Him through
Jesus Christ.
> Everything in nature reflects the Eternal Law in their own
natures. Things act according to their nature, so they
derive their proper ends (final cause) according to the law
written into their nature.
DIVINE LAW - is the historical laws of Scripture given to us through God’s
self-revelation.
> comprises any body of law that is perceived as deriving from
a transcendent source, such as the will of God or gods – in
contrast to man-made law or to secular law.
NATURAL LAW - is “the rational creature’s participation in the eternal law”.
> is the work of Divine Wisdom; it prescribes for man the ways,
the rules of conduct that lead to the promised beatitude
(happiness). (cf. CCC 1950)
> finds its fullness and its unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in
person the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for
only he teaches and bestows the justice of God.
(cf. CCC 1953)
> is holy because it comes from God and makes known to us
God’s holy will through our conscience.
HUMAN LAW - is the interpretation of natural law in different contexts.
Natural law is a foundation for moral and civil law.
Government laws are dictates of practical reason from the
precepts of Natural Law.
HIERARCHY OF LAW
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> For Aquinas, human laws are derived from natural law which is a
participation in the eternal law.
> Therefore, eternal law is at the top, followed by natural law, and
then human law. Divine law is the revealed law of God to man, while
natural law is the imprint of eternal law on the hearts of men.
ETERNA
L LAW
DIVINE
LAW
NATURA OR
REVEALE
L LAW
D
LAW TO
MAN
(imprints)
HUMAN
LAW
THE DECALOGUE IN SACRED SCRIPTURE
> (cf. CCC 2056) The word “Decalogue” means literally “Ten Words”
(Ex 34: 28/Dt 4: 13; 10). God revealed these “Ten Words “ to his
people on holy mountain. They were written “with the finger of God.”
(Ex 31:18/Dt 5:22), unlike the other commandments written by Moses.
They are preeminently the words of God.
> The Decalogue must first be understood in the context of the Exodus,
God’s great liberating event at the center of the Old Covenant.
(cf. CCC 2057)
> The Decalogue is a path of life. “If you love the Lord your God, by
walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his
statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply.”
(Dt 30: 16; 34: 29; 40; 1- 2)
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> The “Ten Words” sum up and proclaim God’s law: ‘’These words the
Lord spoke to all your assembly at the mountain out of the midst of
the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and he
added no more. And he wrote them upon two tablets of stone, and
gave them to me.’’(Dt 5: 22) (cf. CCC 2058)
> These two tables are called “the TESTIMONY”, that is, it contain
the terms of the covenant concluded between God and the
people. These “tables of the Testimony” were to be deposited in
“the ark”. ( Ex 25: 16; 31: 18; 32: 15)
> THEOPHANY – the Lord spoke with (you) face to face a the
mountain, out of the midst of the fire (Dt 5: 4 )
> The gift of the Commandments is the gift of God Himself and His
holy will. In making His will known, God reveals Himself to His people.
> The Ten Commandments set out systematically what the LOVE OF
GOD and LOVE OF NEIGHBOR demand of us.
> The first three Commandments concern our duties towards
God, the last seven our duties toward our neighbor.
VALUE OF THE COMMANDMENTS
> The Ten Commandments provide:
1. credible and durable moral norms for daily life, since they
constitute the basic moral imperatives flowing from our common
“Human Rights”;
2. the pattern for living according to Yahweh’s “covenant” and
Christ’s double love Commandments; and
3. an accepted basis for discussing moral matters with non –
Christians. The Ten Commandments are “signposts toward
authentic responsible freedom.”
I. FIRST COMMANDMENT:
“I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD. YOU SHALL NOT HAVE OTHER
GODS BESIDES ME.” (Ex 20: 2 – 3;Dt 5: 6 – 7)
> this first commandment is the first and most important because to know
and love the One True God is the source and foundation for all the other
Commandments and our whole moral life.
> What are we commanded by the First Commandment?
> to offer God alone the supreme worship that is due to Him; we
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worship God by adoring Him alone, believing everything He reveals,
trusting, loving and serving Him above all. In short, it commands us
to practice religion with acts of faith, hope and charity.
> SINS AGAINST FIRST COMMANDMENT:
1. IDOLATRY – is worshipping a creature as God
2. SUPERSTITION – is believing that some persons or things possess
powers of their own which do not come from God or from
Church’s blessing.
3. SACRILEGE – is disrespect or irreverence towards sacred persons,
places or things.
4. IMPIETY – is contempt of God, religion, and sacred things.
5. Irreverence or lack of due respect, such as talking, laughing or playing
during prayers as well as immodesty of dress and misbehavior in
Church
6. Neglect of religious duties, such as laxity in praying or in receiving the
Sacraments, and any active participation in non-Catholic services
7. Other sins against faith, hope and charity
a. sins against FAITH:
1. APOSTASY – completely leaving the Faith of Christ to
profess a non – Christian religion or none at all.
2. HERESY – is a deliberate denial of one or more of the truths
of Faith by one who profess to be a Christian.
3. INDIFFERENTISM – is the belief that one religion is as good
as another. This is also taken in another form today
as FALSE ECUMENISM.
b. sins against HOPE:
1. PRESUMPTION – when a person trusts that he will be saved
by his own efforts without God’ s help, or by God’s
help without his own efforts.
2. DESPAIR – when a person deliberately refuses to trust that
God will forgive his sins if he repents, or will give him
the necessary help to save his soul.
c. sins against CHARITY:
1. HATRED OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR
2. ENVY – means resenting another’s success because we are
not successful to ourselves.
3. SLOTH – means laziness, especially in doing good to others
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4. SCANDAL – bad example which could lead another into sin
8. IRRELIGION – is an offense against the honor of God
9. SIMONY – is buying or selling such spiritual things as the
Sacraments, the Mass, blessings, indulgences, relics, or any
object or service that may confer supernatural beliefs.
Assessment and Evaluation
Evaluation/Assessment: Continuation of the lesson
References
Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education. (1997).
Catechism for Filipino Catholics. Manila: CBCP. ( pp. 242 – 257 )
Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Copyright 1994 ( pp. 528; 556 – 558 )
Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Copyright 1982 (pp. 262 – 263; 269 – 270;
272 – 273; 280 – 284)
[Link]
natural-law-and-human-law-d04313acf742
Prepared: Checked: Approved:
Balita, Joseph D. ______________________ Dr. Randy M. Baja
Instructor Department Head Dean
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