COMMANDMENTS:  

YOU HAVE CHOICES,  

YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Monday in Lent is, ”Commandments: You Have Choices, You Know That, Right?”

Today’s readings trigger some thoughts about the commandments.

TEN COMMANDMENTS

The first reading contains one of lists Commandments as found in the Old Testament – and you’ll find some of those listed commandments in the New Testament as well.

When we mention commandments to people, my guess and my assumption is that they will think of the 10 Commandments first.

People will picture the stone tablets that are mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures – as well as the stone granite monuments with the 10 Commandments etched into the stone on lawns and buildings. They’ll think about the attempts at times to have them removed from buildings etc. because of desires to separate church from state. 

We can smile at that, because various Biblical scholars hold that the 10 Commandments in the Bible can be traced to the Hammurabi Code which is much earlier than the 10 Commandments in the book of Leviticus which we heard today. So they are both religious and government.  In other words – they come from the state and they then became Jewish law and then were considered religious.

OTHER CHOICES FOR RELIGIOUS COMMANDMENTS

But there are other choices.

There was the Jewish story that rabbis were asked to sum up the Law while standing on one foot.  You also know there were 613 laws or commandments  in the Old Testament.  So standing on one foot would be tricky business.

I like the scenes in the New Testament when Jesus was challenged on what was the Law, what was the main commandment – and we have two versions of that struggle Pharisees and others had with Jesus on this.

You shall love the Lord your God with your whole mind, soul and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two and the greatest commandments.

JOHN SHEA

John Shea told the story about how he was in the rectory one Sunday morning and there was a phone call. He figured it would be someone wanting to know what time the next Mass was. It would be nice to talk to a live person over an answering machine.

The person on the other side says, “I was just in the kitchen with my kids and we’re having an argument about the 10 commandments. I don’t know what the last 2 are – could you give me them right now?”

John Shea says: “Oops he couldn’t remember them right then and there either.” So he told the truth and said, “Sorry.”

To me that’s like the Act of Contrition. Who said we have to say the formula? I tell people in confession, you don’t have to follow the formula. You can simply say, “Lord have mercy.”  That would obviously be better if we are rattling off prayers without thinking. Or I tell people I have never said the formula Act of Contrition since high school but have said since the first year of high school. “Lord it hurts to have hurt you or others, but please stand by while I try again.”

Or wouldn’t a better list than the 10 commandments be the beatitudes or the list of commandments in today’s gospel: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison.

CONCLUSION

So that’s my homily on the Commandments.  We have choices. In fact, I like Paul’s commandment from Galatians 6:2. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus you shall fulfill the Law of Christ.