March 29, 2022 Reflection – “Return to God and to His Commandments…”

Dear Family of Mary!

“Dear children! I am listening to your cry and prayers for peace. For years, Satan has been fighting for war. That is why God sent me among you to guide you on the way of holiness, because humanity is at a crossroad. I am calling you to return to God and to God’s Commandments that it may be good for you on earth, and that you may come out of this crisis into which you have entered because you are not listening to God who loves you and desires to save you and lead you to a new life. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (March 25, 2022)

Our Lady calls us to “…return to God and to God’s Commandments…” God gave us the way to a good life in the Commandments he declared to Moses. Living these Commandments makes life on this earth full of light and hope. Our relationship with God is repaired and strengthened and our relationship to all our brothers and sisters at least has a chance of being happy and fruitful. Even now, it seems, in the terrible mess we are in, the commandments are the way out. Lived in the context of a deep prayer life and the Sacraments, the Commandments can lead us out of our predicament.

Let’s pray and reflect on them today, and maybe every day!

The Ten Commandments
Arranged with comments by Michael Hains

I. I am the Lord Thy God; Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me.
Commands: faith, hope, love, and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer.
Forbids: idolatry; superstition; spiritism; tempting God; sacrilege; attendance at false worship.

2.Thou shall not take the Name of the Lord Thy God in vain.
Commands: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
Forbids: blasphemy; the irreverent use of God’s name; speaking disrespectfully of holy things; false oaths and the breaking of vows.

3. Keep the Sabbath Day Holy.
Commands: going to church on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
Forbids: missing church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work on Sunday and holy days of obligation.

4. Honor thy Father and thy Mother.
Commands: love; respect; obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
Forbids: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect; disobedience.

5. Thou shalt not kill.
Commands: safeguarding of one’s own life and bodily welfare and that of others.
Forbids: unjust killing; suicide; abortion; sterilization; dueling; endangering life and limb of self or others.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Commands: chastity in word and deed.
Forbids: obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.

7.Thou shalt not steal.
Commands: respect for the property of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public office.
Forbids: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling; not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day’s work for wages received; breach of contract.

8.Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Commands: truthfulness; respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.
Forbids: lying; injury to the good name of others; slander; tale-bearing; rash judgment; contemptuous speech and the violation of secrecy.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
Commands: purity in thought.
Forbids: wilful impure thought and desires.

(this list may be found at: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/ten-commandments-10336 )

Lord, please help us to return to You, and to live Your Commandments! We trust in You!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV 2022