God freed His people, Israel, from slavery in Egypt, with Moses as their leader. Then, on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, written on two tablets of stone.
The commandments are not meant to spoil our fun. They are like the guardrails on a mountain road: they keep us safe and show us the way to real freedom and love.
The first three commandments teach us how to love God. The other seven teach us how to love our neighbor.
- I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me. (Put God first.)
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (Speak God's name with love.)
- Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day. (Go to Mass and rest on Sunday.)
- Honor your father and your mother. (Respect and obey your parents.)
- You shall not kill. (Protect life; never hurt others.)
- You shall not commit adultery. (Married people keep their promise of love; respect your body.)
- You shall not steal. (Don't take what isn't yours.)
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Tell the truth.)
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. (Keep your heart pure.)
- You shall not covet your neighbor's goods. (Be thankful for what you have.)
Jesus said He came not to do away with the commandments but to fulfill them. He showed us how to live them with love.