The Ten Commandments: 9th & 10th Commandment: Don't Covet Other Person or Thing

9th Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbour's wife"
10th Commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbour's goods"

What is coveting? Coveting is a desire or yearning to possess or have something or someone. If what we covet is obtained through legal, proper, justifiable means, then that is not an issue. The problem begins when we covet persons or things which belong to someone else, and that someone is unwilling or unable to part with the person or thing.

If we have:

• Unchaste or impure thoughts towards another person
• Desire of another person's wife or husband
• Desire to take or keep wrongfully
• Wilfully damage property that belongs to another

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Among the many passages from the bible concerning coveting, here are some for us to reflect on:

• "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:14-15).
• "Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. Therefore thus says the Lord: behold, against this family I am devising disaster, from which you cannot remove your necks, and you shall not walk haughtily, for it will be a time of disaster. In that day they shall take up a taunt song against you and moan bitterly, and say, “We are utterly ruined; he changes the portion of my people; how he removes it from me! To an apostate he allots our fields.” Therefore you will have none to cast the line by lot in the assembly of the Lord..." (Micah 2:1-13).
• "For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD" (Psalm 10:3).

Passion and desire, when used and nurtured properly can be used to accomplish great things and give glory to God. When we misuse passion for personal gratification and gain, we may end up committing far heinous sins. Let us take care not to covet unhealthily only to ruin our lives and our relationship with God.

For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, And the greedy man curses and spurns the LORD. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Coveting#sthash.1yAkFiY2.dpuf

The Ten Commandments: 8th Commandment: Don't Lie Lah

"You shall not bear false witness"

A lie is a lie, regardless whether it is white, black, yellow, orange or whatever. Some people lie to get out of an uncomfortable situation. Some lie because they do not want others to know their true self. Some lie because they want to gain prestige and importance. Some lie to save one's own skin from persecution or danger. Others lie for some other reason or another. There are even people who are habitual liars, making them undependable for court and for other important matters.

If we have:

• Lied to oneself and to others, in one form or another
• Injured the good name of others
• Slandered others
• Committed character assassination of others through our words for one's personal gain or for some other reason
• Committed detraction (derogatory or damaging comment on a person's character or reputation) 
• Told tales, made rash judgment, commited backbiting, uttered contemptuous speech
• Not kept secrets

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Are we wise and discerning enough to hold our tongue and be truthful at all times, even if the truth may hurt? Are we able to say what is necessary and when necessary, instead of trying to please others and make them happy? Jesus reminded us: "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Are we dependent on Jesus who has come to free us with the truth?

The Ten Commandments: 7th Commandment: Don't Steal

"You shall not steal"

Why do people steal? So many excuses and reasons could come forth, but the root of it all is greed and pride. If we are content with what we have, then stealing should not occur. However, some of us may not be content or satisfied. The urge of having something more, or something bigger, better, faster, newer, etc. could lead us to stealing. People steal in so many ways, some obvious, some subtle. Some may think that those who are poor or needy are more likely to steal, but one would be surprised to learn that even the rich steal. Are there any among us who are guilty of this?

If we have:

• Commit theft, either directly or through the assistance of others
• Damage the property of others, either on our own or through the assistance of others
• Do not pay just debts (for example, we buy items on credit but do not pay up when the time comes to pay, or we avoid paying taxes)
• Do not return found or borrowed articles (especially if we know the person who owns the article) - in some cases, we may not know the person but even if the person is present and looking for the article, some may keep the article and pretend to look elsewhere
• Give unjust measure or weight in selling
• Do not pay just wages (paying less than what was agreed or not paying what others are entitled to or even witholding payment without a just or valid reason)
• Commit or help others to commit bribery
• Commit or help others to commit graft or corruption
• Cheat others in whatever form or method
• Commit or help others to commit fraud
• Accept stolen property
• Not giving an honest day's work for wages received, for example by procrastinating or wilfully slowing the work so that the amount of time needed to complete the work is extended
• Violation of contract without a just and valid reason
• The list can go on and on...

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Among the many passages from the bible concerning stealing, here are some for us to reflect on:

• Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need (Ephesians 4:28).
• Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 10:2).
• For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (1 Timothy 6:10).
• Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions (Malachi 3:8).

Regardless whether the item is big or small, cheap or expensive, light or heavy; stealing is still called stealing. Let us walk in the right path of God and avoid doing such despicable things.

The Ten Commandments: 6th Commandment: No Adultery

"You shall not commit adultery"

Someone once joked that if infants should enjoy their infancy, so adults should enjoy their adultery. While this statement may sound funny, it is certainly no laughing matter in meaning and practice.

If we have:

• Had unchaste relations in thought, word and deed with another's wife or husband
• Watched or shared pornography, bad movies or books
• Uttered obscene speech
• Entertained impure thoughts and actions alone or with others
• Committed or encouraged masturbation, fornication, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, pedophilia
• Committed immodesty with ourselves or others in looks, dress, words, or actions

then we could be breaking this commandment.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honour God with your body... (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)." Thus we ought to practise chastity and modesty in all our looks, words, and actions, while avoiding occasions of sin.

The Ten Commandments: 5th Commandment: Don't Kill

"You shall not kill"

Would anyone in his or her right mind kill another person? Perhaps not. But there are ways a person can kill another person directly or indirectly, and we should be discerning enough to know and prevent such ways from happening.

If we have:

• Wilfully murdered another person
• Committed or attempted suicide or caused another person to do so
• Caused the abortion of a fetus of oneself or of another person's
• Committed or promoted euthanasia
• Used or encouraged others to use artificial contraception
• Caused the sterilisation of self or others
• Used or promoted In vitro fertilization (IVF), where often more than one female egg is fertilised by sperm taken from either the husband or a donor, then only one female egg is placed in the woman and the remaining fertilised eggs are either discarded or given to other women, depending on the circumstances
• Caused or promoted cloning, which involves IVF procedure
• Endangering life and limb of self or others, including dangerous attempts of bravado or showing off
• Caused fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, and bad example, which lead to death of self or others

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Society is promoting more and more a culture of death, where without morals, "it is the strong who decide the fate of the weak," and "Human beings therefore become instruments of other human beings" (Evangelium Vitae 3, 12). Let us put aside our self-centered ways and promote a culture of life, where human life at all stages from conception through natural death is sacred.

The Ten Commandments: 4th Commandment: Honour father and mother

"Honour your father and your mother"

As children, we are often taught to love, respect and obey our parents. As we grow up, we are also taught to show obedience to lawful civil authorities, as well as obedience to religious superiors (especially with matters concerning faith and morals).

However, if some us have:

• Shown hatred of parents and superiors
• Abandoned or showed unjust anger or insult especially towards ageing parents
• Shown contempt, disrespect and disobedience towards our parents or lawful superiors
• Rebellious towards lawful civil authorities or lawful superiors

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Honour here does not mean blind respect or obedience. One has to discern and ensure that proper respect or obedience be validly given. Sometimes, it is difficult to honour our parents, especially if
they have been unfair or abusive towards us. However, we honour them not because they deserve it, but because God taught us to love all, even our enemies.

The Ten Commandments: 3rd Commandment: Keep Holy the Lord's Day

"Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day"

Most of us are busy people, but we should take care not to overdo things. Sometimes we do too much at the expense of something else. Perhaps the something else could be our health, and all the effort in doing so much ends up in poor health or hefty medical bills. Perhaps the something else could be our strained relationship with family and friends. Or perhaps the something else could be our deteriorating relationship with God.

If we:

• Skip or miss church through one's own fault (no valid reason)
• Conduct unnecessary servile work
• Perform unnecessary public buying and selling
• And whatever else that may hinder proper observance of the Lord's day.

then we could be not keeping holy the Lord's day.

We ought to remember that the Lord's day is for all Catholics to gather for Mass to be nourished by the Lord. Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done," human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.

There is more to life than just pursuing career, wealth, status and dreams. Let us not waste it only to one day regret that we could have done things differently to grow in our relationship with God and people. Are we willing to look at that person in the mirror and make the change?

The Ten Commandments: 2nd Commandment: Don't play play with God's name

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

Some of us may be guilty of being too quick in saying something, only to regret later. Others may habitually use "flowery" words in one form or another, without realising or considering the degrading consequences of such words. As Catholics, we are reminded to show good example and preach the Good News by word and deed. However, when we commit one or many of these:

• Utter blasphemy (the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.) by irreverent use of God's name, or speaking disrespectfully of holy things (Some may have said: "Oh my God! How can you be so stupid." or something similar)
• Uttering profane words (cursing, swearing, using demeaning or degrading words: many of which are improper or blatantly disgusting to mention here)
• Making false, rash, unjust, and unnecessary oaths or vows, and breaking of vows (either being unable to keep the vows or intentionally not keeping the vows).

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Proverbs 21:23 reminds us: " Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief." Jesus also reminds us that "It is not what goes into the mouth that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean (Matthew 15:1)." Let us take heed and be careful with what we say.

The Ten Commandments: 1st Commandment: God and God alone

"I am the Lord your God, you shall have no strange gods besides me"

Some folks think that just because they go to church, come regularly for Mass, help out in church activities; it seems unlikely that they could ever break this commandment. However, one might be surprised to discover that one could appear to be a "good Catholic" and still break this commandment. How so?

If you have:

• Given a creature (any person but God) or creation (e.g. sun, moon, stars, "Mother Earth") or object (idols or images carved by men) worship which belongs to God alone; treating these as a god instead
• Believed in or subscribe to superstition, spiritualism, seances, astrology, feng shui, bomohs, horoscopes, fortune telling, palm reading
• Tried to communicate with the dead directly or through others
• Got involved in occult practices in one form or another
• Committed sacrilege (misused what is sacred), got involved in false worship
• Presumption (jumping to conclusions or accepting that something is true until proven otherwise) and despair
• Renounced the faith or given up Catholic practice for the sake of wealth, honours, society, or worldly pleasures

then we could be breaking this commandment.

Jesus reminded us that we cannot have 2 masters: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:24)" Which would you choose? God? Or wealth? God's ways? Or worldly ways? Sometimes in our pursuit of wealth, status and success in this world, we may place God as second place and less important, and elevate others as priority. When we put other things first and God second, then we are having strange gods besides God. Let us take heed of what Jesus warned us: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)"

The Ten Commandments: A Refresher - Introduction

Some of us may have forgotten or are unsure what the 10 commandments mean. So, to help these folks, here is a summary of the 10 commandments to help us especially in preparation for the sacrament of confession.

1. I am the Lord your God, you shall have no strange gods besides 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 your mother
5. You shall not kill
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods

If you look closely, the 10 commandments can be broken into only 2, loving God (the first 3 commandments) and loving each other (the remaining 7 commandments) (Matthew 22:37-40). In giving us the Ten Commandments God is not trying to take away our fun or our freedom. Instead He’s showing us how we were meant to live. So, if God is inviting us to live right, let us then live right and grow in relationship with Him and with others around us.