Deacon Dan Gannon, J.D., M.A.

Life In Christ•The Church•The Decalogue•The First Commandment

Tonight …

Life In Christ The Decalogue The Church The First Commandment

Agenda

Last time … Moral law New Gospel law of love Grace & Justification

Tonight 35-40 minutes small groups until 7:50 Focus on … key themes 8pm – 9pm lecture

C

Holy Trinit

y

The Church: Mystical Body / Christ’s Voice

Old Covenants & ProphetsForeshadowing Christ…

Creation & Fall

Man’s divinization

New Jerusalem

“Economy (oikonomia = Plan) of Salvation”

Incarnation

Paschal Sacrifice

CREED

SACRAMENTAL LIFE

MORAL LIFE

PRAYER

Decalogue – In Perspective

Always in context of Christ’s New Law of love

Not “rules” but “covenant-love”God of OT = bad rap… “taskmaster”

Decalogue – In Perspective

Spousal love Obligations emerge Covenant, not control Rules protect love!

Decalogue – In Perspective

Christ’s New Law of love … …fulfills, refines, surpasses and leads the Old

law to its perfection; releases their hidden potential; reform of the heart” (interiorization)

In the Beatitudes, the New Law fulfills the divine promises by elevating and orienting them toward the "kingdom of heaven. (CCC 1967)

In the Beatitudes, the New Law fulfills the divine promises by elevating and orienting them toward the "kingdom of heaven. (CCC 1967)

Cf. CCC 1972

Decalogue – In Perspective

Christ’s Law of Love is a PRECEPT … a COMMANDMENT!

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also

should love one another. (Jn. 13:34)

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also

should love one another. (Jn. 13:34)

Decalogue – In Perspective Christian morality finds its origin in the

question of happiness (beatitude) set out in Beatitudes/Sermon on Mount

… NOT negative moral precepts

Decalogue – In Perspective

Old Law = human act was moral because of its relationship to the LAW “Legalism” risk “External / minimalistic” Duties = fulfillment of law

Decalogue – In Perspective St. Thomas: Old law was

incomplete / imperfect…

… it ordered people to God, but it did not instill within them the power to reach God

“I will put my law within them and I will rite it upon their hearts…” (Jer. 31:31)

“I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes…” (Ez. 32:26)

“I will put my law within them and I will rite it upon their hearts…” (Jer. 31:31)

“I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes…” (Ez. 32:26)

Decalogue – In Perspective Jesus’ New Law of Love

… in relation to Old Law

Can love be commanded?

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish

them but to fulfill them …” (Matt 5:17)

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also

should love one another …” (Jn. 13:34)

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish

them but to fulfill them …” (Matt 5:17)

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also

should love one another …” (Jn. 13:34)

Decalogue In Perspective

Jesus is the perfect Model of the New Law

In the face of Jewish justice and Greek wisdom, Paul proclaimed a "new" virtue: faith in Jesus Christ crucified!

"While the Jews demand miracles and Greeks here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over; to

the pagans madness…"

"While the Jews demand miracles and Greeks here are we preaching a crucified Christ; to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over; to

the pagans madness…"

Decalogue In Perspective

St. Paul preached not obligations… but freedom from the old law via Christ’s perfect sacrifice/fulfillment unto the new law of love.

“you also were put todeath to the law through the body of Christ”

(Rom. 7:4)

“Now we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive, so that we may serve in the newness of

the spirit and not under the obsolete letter.”

“you also were put todeath to the law through the body of Christ”

(Rom. 7:4)

“Now we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive, so that we may serve in the newness of

the spirit and not under the obsolete letter.”

Decalogue In Perspective

Mosaic Law – St. Thomas held mosaic law structured life of Israel in three ways: Moral Ceremonial Judicial precepts

Christ’s Paschal Mystery fulfills Mosaic law on the Cross Priest Prophet King

Decalogue In Perspective

Sermon is second stage of moral freedom’s progress as Decalogue was for the first.

Between old/new law, there is essential continuity and profound difference imperfect/perfect seed with tender shoots and

needing protection vs. the plant that grows tall and strong.

Kreeft – Jesus didn’t liberalize the Old Law; he TIGHTENED IT

Decalogue In Perspective

New Law: Christian morality and actions have their origin and teleology in happiness, the good and beatitude…

Jesus didn’t liberalize Old Law, he tightened it…

Morality is not a series of obligations imposed by God; the Decalogue DISPOSES

us and PROTECTS AUTHENTIC LOVE

Morality is not a series of obligations imposed by God; the Decalogue DISPOSES

us and PROTECTS AUTHENTIC LOVE

Point of Departure: The Rich Young Man

CCC 2052-2083

The Rich Young Man

Mark 10Set’s whole tone of CCC into DecalogueKeeping commandments in the

minimalistic sense is necessary but not sufficient for Jesus!

PerfectionGrace and sacramental life REQUIRED!

The Rich Young Man

Now we are in realm of Charity – selfless love; NO LIMITS!

Holiness & Perfection – new ‘language’ of commandmentsThe “New Man” - Paul

The Rich Young Man

Invitation of LOVE cannot be COERCED

Sin is a essentially a RELATIONSHIP broken, not just a “rule” We “hide” like Adam

Sin … where we are falling apart is where WE MEET CHRIST Paul “content with weakness,

insults, hardships, persecutions… for Christ”

The Rich Young Man

Operatio Sequitur Esse –what we do flows from who we are (operations follow from being)

We must first be holy and participating in the life of the Trinity via GRACE for our actions to conform with the Commandments in light of the New Law of Love!

“Participation in the Holy Spirit is a participation in the divine nature” – St. Athanasius

“Participation in the Holy Spirit is a participation in the divine nature” – St. Athanasius

2030-2051

The Church, Mother and Teacher

Mother & Teacher Not a ‘legalist’ but a ‘lover’ – “voice of our

Mother”… Protector of “covenant love”

The Church, Mother and Teacher

The Church, Mother and Teacher

“It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of "the law of Christ." (Gal 6:2)

From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the "way."

The Church, Mother and Teacher

Bishops authority directly from the Apostles in union with the Pope “teach the faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice and the beatitude to hope for.” (2034)

To love Christ is to love His Church – His Bride

One God, One Order, One Church, One Truth …

The Church, Mother and Teacher

Church is our source of grace, nourishment and healing – Eucharist, Reconciliation

Scripture + Tradition … interpreted by Magisterium

Conscience – not subjective; must be formed via Magisterium

The Church, Mother and Teacher

“The Roman Pontiff and the bishops are "authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach the faith to the people entrusted to them, the faith to be believed and put into practice." (2034)

Purpose of Magisterium is salvation of souls

Develop a “filial spirit” toward the Church, our mother (2040)

The Church, Mother and Teacher

Precepts of the Church – “very necessary minimum” (2041) for growth in love of God and neighbor Mass – Sunday & Holy Days Reconciliation – yearly Eucharist received – yearly (in Easter

season) Fasting & Abstinence observed as

required Contribute to material support of the

Church

The Church, Mother and Teacher

Must avoid pharisaical approach to the Five Precepts of the Church! i.e. Minimalist view.

Liturgical observances lead to rectified and good life. “Operatio sequitur esse”

Church is therefore MISSIONARY by nature

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

First tablet: 3 commandments = love of God “You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart, soul and mind …” (Deut 6:5)

Second tablet: 7 commandments = love of neighbor – “You shall love neighbor as yourself…” (Lv 19:17; Mk 12:28)

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

Why is Greatest Commandment NOT one of the “10”?

Commandments take second place to the covenant. CCC notes the Decalogue is “never handed on without first recalling the Covenant” (2060)

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

The Greatest Commandment as Jesus calls it … STANDS ABOVE the 10 Commandments as the COVENANT precedes God’s giving of the Decalogue!

The relationship/covenant with God is the GOOD to which the Commandments are ordered!

The One WORD joins God and humanity in His Person as the two tablets are joined by Great Commandment

Covenant = Greatest CommandmentCovenant = Greatest Commandment

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor Unity of commandments – break one, you break

them all! Why? Because they are all bound together by ONE LOVE!

2055: On these two commandments hang all of the Law and prophets

“You” in commandments is a personal invitation for us to be “perfect”!

The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love… ratified by Jesus’ command to “love one another”

The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love… ratified by Jesus’ command to “love one another”

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

All Commandments are discoverable by reason – NATURAL LAW

God’s pattern/design in natural creation, order in nature necessitates a MORAL order and pattern as well! The moral order proceeds from One

God, One order, One truth, One Lord, One Church…

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

Commandments come in “second place” b/c they express the implications of belonging to God via COVENANT (Cf. 2062) “The Decalogue is never handed on

without first recalling the covenant” (2060)

Decalogue = means literally “10 words” (2056) – given after the PG committed to do all the Lord and said and “obey”. God would reveal the greatest commandment in ONE WORD … made flesh.

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

Exodus – God’s love demonstrated via deliverance from bondage… then asks for return of love via obeying commandments. Like spousal

relationship – love manifested first, then obligations protect that love.

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

Similarly, The Church/CCC tells story of Creed – God’s saving work in Christ first… (Pillar I)

THEN … Empowers us with grace via sacramental life (Pillar II) …

THEN ..

Obedience to God’s law is a loving, “wrapt listening” to the voice of the Beloved

Reveals the norms for a moral life in imitation of Christ

Decalogue – Love of God & Neighbor

On these two commandments hang all the Law and prophets. “The Decalogue must be interpreted in light of this twofold yet single commandment of love.”… ratified by Jesus’ own “love one another”. 2055

Unity of Decalogue – transgress one is to infringe all others 2069

Grave obligations 2068, 2072

Decalogue – First Commandment

“I am the Lord your God … who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of … bondage”…

“You shall have no other Gods before me” (Deut. 5:6-21)

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut 6:5)

Decalogue – First Commandment

Recall that love is in the WILL. To love is to WILL THE GOOD of ANOTHER,

according to St. Thomas.

Recall that love is in the WILL. To love is to WILL THE GOOD of ANOTHER,

according to St. Thomas.

… love is also Christ’s COMMAND… not a feeling!

We LOVE by OBEYING GOD’S WILL

“First things first” – All begins and ends with GOD ALONE!

We must put God and loving him first in the moral life and all other things fall in place.

Decalogue – First Commandment

Note that we see the Great Commandment ratified and fulfilled

by Christ’s NEW Law … RIGHT THERE in the OLD LAW as well!

Note that we see the Great Commandment ratified and fulfilled

by Christ’s NEW Law … RIGHT THERE in the OLD LAW as well!

C

Holy Trinit

y

The Church: Mystical Body / Christ’s Voice

Old Covenants & ProphetsForeshadowing Christ…

Creation & Fall

Man’s divinization

New Jerusalem

“Economy (oikonomia = Plan) of Salvation”

Incarnation

Paschal Sacrifice

CREED

SACRAMENTAL LIFE

MORAL LIFE

PRAYER

Decalogue – First Commandment

“The Lord, your God, shall you worshipand him alone shall you serve.” (Mt. 4:10)

CCC and Mother Church addresses 1st Commandment in context of: FAITH HOPE CHARITY

Theological Virtues – received via the Sacraments of the Church! “Seed of glory” … “Eternal life begun here

and now” – Garrigou LaGrange Elevates us to supernatural help and ability

to worship and serve God

Decalogue – First Commandment

Theological Virtues – flow from sanctifying grace; infused at baptism, renewed in the sacraments & have God as their object and source. Hence … they are the proximate means

by which we can worship God and serve Him

Some infused virtues adapt man’s faculties to the end/goal (Theological Virtues) … others to the means (Moral Virtues)

Decalogue – First Commandment

Theological virtues – adapt man’s faculties for participation in the divine nature (a gift of God, not acquired)

Decalogue – First Commandment

Faith – we believe in God and His revelation via Scripture & Magisterium “the gift of God” – St. Paul The basis of our

justification for it makes us know the supernatural end toward which we must tend.

Decalogue – First Commandment

Faith – we believe in God and His revelation via Scripture & Magisterium Doubt, if voluntary, is a sin against faith Jesus admonishes His disciples for weak

faith Heresy, apostasy, schism – are all

attacks on faith, since the Church is Christ’s bride and acts in His name and person.

Decalogue – First Commandment

Decalogue – First Commandment

Faith of itself, if it does not have works, isdead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to

you from my works. (James 2:17-18)

Faith of itself, if it does not have works, isdead. Indeed someone might say, "You have faith and I have works." Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to

you from my works. (James 2:17-18)

Hope – we desire heaven and eternal life as our happiness; “confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God” (2090) Therese of Lisieux – “Mother, it is the way

of spiritual childhood, the path of confidence and total abandonment”

Confidence is theological hope wholly impregnated with love – Fr. Paul Marie-Eugene

Despair and presumption are sins against hope.

Decalogue – First Commandment

Charity – moves us to love God above all else and neighbor as self St. Thomas – “form of all virtues”

informs all with proper motive; it is essence of our perfection

Directs all virtues effectively to God himself.

God’s love “poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” – St. Paul

Decalogue – First Commandment

Charity – moves us to love God above all else and neighbor as self Pride, indifference and lukewarmness

opposed to charity. The source of our greatest

suffering is the deification of the will. We make ourselves God – Fr. Barrron

Decalogue – First Commandment

“You shall have no other gods before Me” “… Him alone shall you serve…”

False idols … what/who are our “Golden Calfs”? Not just pagan worship, but when we revere a

creature/thing in place of God (2113) Martyrs died rather than worship false idols. Materialism, impurity, pride Irreligion – atheism, agnosticism Superstition, divination, magic, etc.

Decalogue – First Commandment

“No one denies God unless he has some reason for not wanting him to exist.”

- St. Augustine

Today’s “false idols” – pride, sensuality, money, materialism, hedonism, individualism, greed

In short – preferring any created thing/person to God

Decalogue – First Commandment

Prayer – “is an indispensable condition for being able to obey God’s commandments” (2098)

Sacrifice – outward sacrifice must express a spiritual, internal sacrifice “my sacrifice is a broken spirit” (Ps 51:17) (2100) Perfect sacrifice – Christ on the cross

We are called to give all to God, like the Rich Young Man and follow Christ.

Decalogue – First Commandment

Suggested Reading …

Servais Pinckaers, O.P. The Sources of Christian Ethics (The Catholic University of America Press, Washington, D.C.), 1995.

Michael Dauphinais, Knowing the Love of Christ (University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, Indiana), 2002.

Dom Hubert Van Zeller, The Inner Search (Sheed and Ward, New York), 1957.

Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life) – John Paul II

Gannon.Dan@gmail.com