From the Bishop
 
From the Editor

This issue focuses on commandments three and four.

En Español
 

Diocese of Laredo

 
 

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Last Word

 

Looking at the third and fourth commandments

 

 

En Español

Photo By Guillermo Sosa

By Rev. Thomas Joachim, FJ

I was always surprised to hear that God said, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Mt 22:37) and “honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 20:12).

It would have been easier to say the contrary, “you shall honor your Lord” and “you shall love your parents.”

As a matter of fact, it is natural to love one’s parents, and every religion tries to honor God. However, God did say to Israel, “you shall love the Lord your God and you shall honor your parents.” Why did he say that?

Let’s take a look at the third commandment, remember to keep holy the Lord’s day.  For us, the Lord’s day is Sunday and to keep Sunday holy implies first of all to go to Mass on this day.

But the question that arises is do you go to Sunday Mass in order to honor God or because you love him?

I was educated in a Christian family and we used to go to Mass every Sunday. But it took a long time for me to go to Mass not only because I had to but because I loved attending church.  I eventually learned to honor God and to love him.  I remember very well a moment in my life, when I was 17 years old, when I discovered perhaps for the first time that Jesus was a friend. I felt he was knocking at the door of my heart like a beggar asking, could you please open to me the door of your heart?   From that day I decided to go to Mass all the Sundays of my life not only to honor him but to love him. For me, going to Mass is opening my heart to my Lord and my friend.

Going to Mass is sharing his life.

The fourth commandment says honor (not only love) your mother and your father. We have a very different relationship with our parents than we have with God. We are flesh of their flesh and blood of their blood. That is the reason why it is just normal to have a filial love for them. Every baby naturally loves his parents. But there is a difficulty when we are hurt by our parents, when we discover that they are not perfect, when we are witnesses of their weaknesses and even their sins. These moments, the temptation is to despise our parents. That is the reason why God says not only to love our parents, but to honor them.

Whatever they have done to you, I command you to honor them, says the Lord. This is the first commandment with a promise—that it may be well with you and you may be long on the earth (Eph. 6 : 3).

In other words, honor your parents and you will be blessed by God.