You shall not steal. – Exodus 20:15 NRSVCE
The Seventh Commandment seems pretty straightforward that you shouldn’t steal from another however the Catechism provides even deeper context as to how this applies. It reveals that all of creation belongs to God and we are simply stewards or caretakers of what is created.
The Catechism teaches that Christ’s grace in the Sacrament of Marriage protects the essential purposes of marriage: the good of the couple and the generation and education of children. Anything that is contrary to these primary purposes of marriage would likely be contrary to this Commandment.
One of the first stories in the Bible describes Cain killing his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8). Since the beginning of time, people have understood that intentionally taking, or being an accomplice to taking, an innocent life is wrong however the Fifth Commandment goes well beyond this surface level interpretation.
The Fourth Commandment is the first commandment of the last seven that focus on our responsibilities toward ourselves and others. This Commandment is about respect and honor toward our parents, as well as those in authority (teachers, employers, governors, elders, coaches, etc.)
The Third Commandment calls us to keep holy the Sabbath day. For Christians, the observance of the Sabbath is Sunday, the actual day of Christ’s Resurrection that brought about the new creation by Christ and recalls the creation of the world in Genesis.
When God handed down these commandments, He made this the second commandment… not the tenth. That suggests that this is pretty important.
When you were young you may have heard about, and maybe even studied, the Ten Commandments. You may have heard the stories from the Bible about Moses bringing down the stone tablets from Mount Sinai. As an adult, you may think they’re pretty basic and easy to follow. Maybe you consider them more as suggestions or think they’re not really applicable in today’s world. Nothing could be further from the truth!
What Are Your Priorities in Life? Do you know what they are? Could you recite them clearly and concisely? If you can’t recite them immediately, you are likely wasting time every day on things that aren’t important to you as your life passes you by. Do you really want to sacrifice the things that are important to you for the things that are unimportant?
The common response to a problem is to blame others or the environment. While other people and the environment likely contributed to the problem, blaming them solely is highly unlikely to lead to a solution. Instead, if you can stop digging you may be able to solve the problem with courageous humility.
Welcome to CFB! My hope is to support and inspire others to form stronger families and businesses with a foundation in the Catholic faith.