First Commandmen

t

I. Meaning• The first commandment is the

CENTER of the other commandments.

• It is found on the First Tablet of the Law.

• The first Commandment helps us to keep the great Commandment of the love of God because it commands us to adore God alone.

• It is in knowing and loving God that we can truly live in our life.

Do not make a

representation of

anything that is with

Me

Value ofFAITH

“If you have great faith, you will have great blessing. If you have a little

faith, you will receive a little blessing. But if

you have no faith, God's blessing will

not be in your life.”

This 1st Commandment, in proclaiming the Lordship of

one true God, expresses this duty of worship.

Worship – recognition of God’s Lordship expressed in filial devotion and service.

The First Commandment fosters all the elements of the

virtue of religion:

•Adoration – the first act of the virtue of religion. To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the “nothingness of the creature” who would not exist but for God.

•Prayer – indispensable condition for being able to obey God’s commandments.

•Sacrifice – a sign of adoration and gratitude, supplication and communion.

•Love, Honor, Respect – to love and to serve God in faith and hope is our first duty and privilege.

•Faith – believing without doubting whatever God has revealed.

•Hope – trusting God that will give us eternal life and all the means necessary to obtain it.

•Charity – loving God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for God’s sake.

SUPERSTITION- Is the deviation of religious

feeling and of the practices- It is an irrational, but usually

deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a specific action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it.

Idolatry- Does not only refer to false

pagan worship.- Idolatry consists of divinizing

what is not God.- Substitution of someone or

something for God.- Idolatry is vividly portrayed in the

Biblical story of the “Golden Calf”

“Golden Calf”

Divination/Fortune Telling

It is the art of foretelling the future or discovering hidden knowledge by supernatural means.

Magic and Sorcery or Witchcraft

All practices of magic and sorcery by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have supernatural power even if this were for the sake of restoring their health are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.

These practices are in fact more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, and especially when they have recourse to the intervention of demons.

Wearing charms is also reprehensible.

Spiritism often implies divination or magical practice.

IrreligionGod’s first

commandment condemns the main sins of irreligion:

Tempting God – consist in putting His goodness and almighty power to test by word or deed.

Sacrilege – consist in profaning or treating unworthy of the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, thing or place consecrated to God.

– is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the Body of Christ is made present for us.

Simony – defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.

“You received without pay, give without pay.” – Peter thus held the words of Jesus.

Graven Images – The divine injunction included the prohibition of God by the hand of man.