(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018
February 28, 2018
Dear Family of Mary!
“…I am calling all of you to open yourselves and to live the commandments which God has given you…” (February 25, 2018)
Our Lady calls us often to remember the commandments of God. She wants to anchor us firmly in the Word that the Father has given us in the Scriptures. God was so generous to us to give us a simple and yet comprehensive list of commands, so that we could learn what it means to be just, to be good to one another and in right order with Him. It is not a long and complicated list, only 10 things to keep in mind. But somehow we have trouble doing this!
Here is the simple list of the Commandments that the Church offers us, taken from Scripture:
1. I am the LORD your God, you shall not have strange Gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy The LORD’S day
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. (From Deut. 5)
And here is another set of commands that Jesus gave to us in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew’s Gospel. This list appears to be very different from the Old Testament commandments. But I think Jesus is giving us the Commandments of His Father as conditions of the heart. He shows how those who observe the Commandments of His Father will actually live, what condition their hearts will be in. All these conditions of the heart lead to the kingdom of Heaven!
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5: 1-10)
This time of grace we are in is a time to return to the Commandments of God and let them bless us with the truth about the Good. Praying about these Commandments will free us of the foggy thinking of our cultures, and give us clarity for action. We want to be free, like Jesus is free! We want to be full of light. Our Lady wants this for us!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2018
