“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12).
I have been reflecting on the Ten Commandments. After all, we are advised that a daily examination of conscience is an essential part of Good Christian Practice, and such a thing is only possible if one first understands what it is that they should be examining.
One of the first things that I learned as a little child at school (and certainly prior to making my First Reconciliation) was the Ten Commandments. We focused on the order of the Commandments and on the number of them. As I grew older and more able to comprehend the Commandments themselves, I was taught that the order was very important.
The Commandments range from the most serious and most important to the least serious and least important Commandments. And while an offence against ANY of the Commandments is enough to damn my soul to Hell, a sin against the earlier Commandments is more likely to be a Mortal Sin. For example, the First Commandment is to have no other God besides God Himself (Exodus 20:1-6). The Second is to never take God’s Name in vain (Exodus 20:7). The Third Commandment is to keep the Sabbath Holy (Exodus 20:8-11). These first three Commandments relate to God Himself. And therefore – being instruction on how we should deal with God – they are the MOST important of all the Commandments.
The next set of Commandments tells us how we should deal with each other (as we are all created in God’s image). The Fourth Commandment is very interesting to me because of all the Commandments, it is the only one that offers a BLESSING if it is followed… “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). The Fifth Commandment is to not murder (Exodus 20:13). The Sixth is not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). The Seventh is to not steal (Exodus 20:15).
The final set of Commandments relates to our feelings and interactions with our neighbours. The Eight Commandment is to not bear false witness (or lie about) another person (Exodus 20:16). The Ninth Commandment is not to covet your neighbour’s wife and the Tenth Commandment is not to covet your neighbour’s goods (Exodus 20:17).
And I have been reflecting on these Commandments. For following them is simply a sign of respect for God Himself, who so clearly and easily summarised exactly what He wished for me to do.
And the more that I think about those Commandments, the more I give thanks to my God. For He could have made the rules strenuously unyielding and impossible to keep track of and follow. But instead, He chose to provide me with a common-sense mind-map of Commandments that guide my in my dealings with God, my neighbours and my thoughts. And He even promises a blessing to me – just for respecting my parents…
How lucky is a miserable soul like mine to have that!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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