Catechism of the Catholic Church on

the 10 Commandments
What is the Catholic doctrine of the Ten Commandments?

The Catholic Ten Commandments are a summary of "the conditions of a

life freed from the slavery of sin" (Catechism, 2057). Love of God and love
of neighbour summarize all of Catholic morality. The Law of Love is also
the first principle and source of the moral law. It contains "all the law and
the prophets" (Mt 22:40).

1. I am the Lord your God: You shall not have strange Gods before me.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

4. Honour your father and mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.

10.You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.

LITURGICAL YEAR

 the liturgical year, also known as the church year or Christian year, as well
as the kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian
churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of
saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read
either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.

 church year, also called liturgical year, annual cycle of seasons and days
observed in the Christian churches in commemoration of the life, death,
and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and of his virtues as exhibited in the lives
of the saints.

Ordinary Time - Ordinary Time refers to all of those parts of the Catholic
Church's liturgical year that aren't included in the major seasons of Advent,
Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

Ordinary Time (Latin: Tempus per annum) is the part of the liturgical year in
the liturgy of the Roman Rite, as revised in 1969, which falls outside the two great
seasons of Christmastide and Eastertide, or their respective preparatory seasons
of Advent and Lent. Ordinary Time thus includes the days between
Christmastide and Lent, and between Eastertide and Advent. The liturgical
color assigned to Ordinary Time is green. The last Sunday of Ordinary Time is
the Solemnity of Christ the King.

The word "ordinary" as used here comes from the ordinal numerals by which the
weeks are identified or counted, from the 1st week of Ordinary Time in January
to the 34th week that begins toward the end of November.
Advent Season

 Advent is the period leading up to Christmas. It starts on the Sunday

nearest to 30 November and ends on the fourth Sunday before 25
December. The word 'advent' means 'coming'. It is a time of preparation
for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas Season

 For the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church and

Methodist Church, Christmastide begins on 24 December at sunset or
Vespers, which is liturgically the beginning of Christmas Eve. Most of 24
December is thus not part of Christmastide, but of Advent, the season in
the Church Year that precedes Christmastide.

Epiphany

 Epiphany, also called Feast of the Epiphany, Theophany, or Three Kings'

Day, (from Greek epiphaneia, “manifestation”), Christian holiday
commemorating the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles,
represented by the Magi, and the manifestation of his divinity, as it
occurred at his baptism in the Jordan.

Lent

 Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and

almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name “Lent” is from the Middle
English “Lencten,” meaning spring; its more primitive ecclesiastical name
was the “forty days,” “quadragesima” in Latin or “tessaracoste” in Greek.

Triduum

 is a religious observance lasting three days.

Easter

 the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating
the resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between
March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following
the northern spring equinox.
 the period in which Easter occurs, especially the weekend from Good
Friday to Easter Monday.
Holy Spirit
7 Gifts of the Holy
Spirit
 Wisdom
 We see God at work in our lives and in
the world. For the wise person, the
wonders of nature, historical events, and
the ups and downs of our lives take on
deeper meaning. The matters of judgment
about the truth, and being able to see the
whole image of God. We see God as our
Father and other people with dignity.
Lastly being able to see God in everyone
and everything everywhere.
 Understanding

 We comprehend how we need to live as a

follower of Christ. A person with understanding
is not confused by all the conflicting messages
in our culture about the right way to live. The gift
of understanding perfects a person's
speculative reason in the apprehension of truth.
 Counsel (Right Judgment)

 With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we

know the difference between right and wrong,
and we choose to do what is right. A person
with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the
values taught by Jesus. The gift of truth that
allows the person to respond prudently, and
happily to believe our Christ the Lord
 Fortitude (Courage)
 With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome
our fear and are willing to take risks as a
follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage
is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight
of God, even if it means accepting rejection,
verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.
The gift of courage allows people the firmness
of mind that is required both in doing good and
in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods
or evils that are difficult
 Knowledge

 With the gift of knowledge, we

understand the meaning of God. The gift
of knowledge is more than an
accumulation of facts.
 Piety (Reverence)
 With the gift of reverence, sometimes called
piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God
and the church. A person with reverence
recognizes our total reliance on God and comes
before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is
the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's instigation,
we pay worship and duty to God as our Father,
Aquinas writes.
 Fear of the Lord (Wonder
and Awe)
With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory
and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows
that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect
knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect
love. This gift is described by Aquinas as a fear of
separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a
"filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather
than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of punishment. Also
known as knowing God is all powerful. Fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our
mindset in its correct location with respect to God: we are
the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-
powerful Creator.
Where could we find
Holy Spirit?
 The Holy Spirit was present during each stage
of Christ’s life. When the angel appeared to
Mary, the mother of Jesus, he declared: “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy one to be born will be
called the Son of God” (Lk 1:35).
Later on, at the baptism of Jesus, which marked the
beginning of His public ministry, the Holy Spirit was
present and, on this occasion, could be seen in
material form. “When Jesus was baptized, he went up
immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly
opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and coming down on him” (Mt
3:16). During His ministry, Jesus taught about the
Holy Spirit and had a relationship with Him.
Furthermore, He urged His disciples to receive Him in
their lives.
• Invisible, perhaps, but real. The Holy Spirit is
probably the least understood person of the
Trinity. Among the myths and the mistaken
concepts that are shared, He has been
described as a force, a ghost, and a second-
class or replacement god. He is confused
with the manifestations themselves, and has
even been presented as an incidental figure
that appears momentarily. Nothing could be
further from the truth. It is vital for the church
to know the Spirit, learn to relate to Him, and
understand how He manifests Himself.
The Holy Spirit in the
life of Christians
1. The Holy Spirit is a helper who teaches and
reminds.
In John 14:26 Jesus told his disciples “the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach
you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I
have said to you”
The Greek word “Parakletos” in this passage is
translated “Helper” in the ESV, “Advocate” in the NIV,
and “Counselor” in the KJV. The meaning of this word
relates “legal counsel.”
The Holy Spirit provide wise counsel to Christ’s
followers. Jesus knew he would be going away and
that his followers would need the Holy Spirit as a
helper and an advocate to remind them of his
teachings.
 2. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin.
In addition to providing wise counsel, attorneys
also provide evidence used to convict criminals.
In a similar fashion, the Holy Spirit will prove the
sin, righteousness, and judgment of the world.
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your
advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away,
the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will
send him to you. And when he comes, he will
convict the world concerning sin and
righteousness and judgment” (John 16:7-8, ESV)
 3. The Holy Spirit dwells in believers and
fills them.
The Holy Spirit is God’s presence in the lives of
believers.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1
Corinthians 2:10-11)