Is it true the 10 Commandments have never been more disobeyed in the history of mankind than they are right now?
Anytime we put something or someone ahead of God, we break the first of the 10 commandments and fall into the sin idolatry. A few months ago, during Mass here in the hospital chapel, I saw a 40 year old man playing on his cell phone. It wasn’t just for a few minutes, it was almost half of the Mass. Today, people walk around being led by their phones with no regard to being in the presence of others. They are on their phones even in heavy traffic. It’s not uncommon to see people sitting at a table and all of them with a phone in their hand and no talking at all between those sitting there. Are our phones becoming idols by giving more attention to them than to people around us or even placing them over our worship of God? There are dangerous children’s games such as the Ouija board, Charlie Charlie, and movies such as Harry Potter or games children cast spells that cause serious harm to the child and others. These are all sins against the 1st Commandment.
Regarding, the second commandment, most television programs, movies and videos show people taking God’s name in vain and so millions hear this sin and it doesn’t bother them. People everywhere freely say God’s name in vain at work, at home, at school and in businesses. We should only say, “O God”, when we are addressing God out of love and devotion or a need. For example, “O God, I love you!” But, never should we say, the name of Jesus, nor say “O God” when we are surprised by something. That’s taking God’s name in a vain way. Rather, we should respect God’s name as we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Hallowed be thy name”, Holy is His name. It’s disrespectful to say God’s name without a good reason. The Jews are forbidden to even say God’s name out of respect for it. The Virgin Mary said in Her magnificat: “He who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name”. The name of Jesus is above every other name and at His name every knee shall bend and every tongue proclaim ---Jesus Christ is Lord.
Do we keep the holy the Sabbath-- the Lord’s Day? Many businesses are opened on Sunday. When I was a kid there were only two businesses opened on Sunday, the gas station and the grocery store. Today, there are some good businesses like Hobby Lobby that refuse to be opened on Sunday, out respect for the holy day. We should not work on holy days of obligation nor do unnecessary shopping on Sunday. People don’t attend Mass because they golf or go hunting. We should not go out to eat on Sunday unless there is a serious reason, such as travel. If we ever travel, we can always ask the pastor of your parish for a dispensation, this way its not sinful to miss Mass on Sundays. And he will ask that you attend Mass during the week instead. Many do not see the need to worship God, their creator, who gives them every good thing. He gives us the ability to golf and to go hunting and we need to take one day to thank Him.
Many work on Sunday unnecessarily and don’t attend church. However, those who take care of the sick or those who work in public safety do not sin when working on Sunday, because it’s out of charity we are helping others.
Do we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection each Sunday, or is Sunday a day for the false gods of self, money, pleasure, and sports?
Children have less respect for their parents. More and more elderly parents are neglected by their adult children. Elderly parents are viewed as a burden to the family and so euthanasia is becoming law in more and more states. Parents fail to bring their children to confession regularly, fail to help them to know their faith, fail to teach them to pray and fail to give good example losing their temper or screaming cuss words. They wonder why their children don’t attend Mass when they become adults.
In one year in the US alone, we kill well over 9 million babies through surgical and chemical abortions, yet the Lord forbids us to kill. Mass shootings, school shootings, murders in cities and even small towns. The opioid addictions are an epidemic with thousands dying every year. Drug abuse such as heroin and cocaine are destroying the lives many and causing great harm to families. The legalization of marijuana is a sign people think it’s okay to harm one’s own body and don’t care if they their mind is affected in such a way so as one does not make good moral decisions. The mutilation of one’s body by excessive piercing of ears, the piercing of tongues, lips, the nose and tattoos are all forms of self-harm and lack of respect for one’s own body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Teenage suicides are unbelievably high. Last year, I met a high school girl from Tulsa, whose mother was in the hospital. The girl told me she has lost 12 friends in one year. I said, “What do you mean?” She said, “6 of my friends committed suicide and the other 6 were murdered”. She said, she was standing next to her boyfriend when he was shot and he died in front of her. How incredibly sad is all this! Can you imagine what young people are needlessly enduring in their lives? We need to look at how we can help our young people and be concerned about the environment they are living because they should not feel hopeless, but rather to want to live and do amazing things for the world. God has a plan for each of them.
It’s becoming more and more common for spouses to cheat on each other. The majority of couples live together before getting married. Young people are losing their virginity and getting sexually transmitted diseases. Fewer divorced are getting annulments and so many are no longer getting married in the Church.
Pornography is causing addictions in people of all age. Parents fail in their duty to protect their children by not monitoring, what their children view on their cell phones and computers. According to statistics, 90% of boys and 60% of girls viewed pornography before the age of 18. The average age when a child first sees pornography is 11 years of age. 79% of men between the age of 18 and 30 view pornography monthly. Young girls and women are using contraceptives, which is a mortal sin and then receive Holy Communion sacrilegiously because they have never confessed that sin.
With regard to stealing, people need extra security and locks for their homes, they want more police protection because so many homes are getting broken into and businesses get looted.
People freely bear false witness in court, on the job, in conversation, or on TV. Even high ranking government officials, candidates for presidential office and even the FBI investigators lie under oath. Little white lies are still lies and we should not tell them. Out of human respect, because we don’t want to hurt family or friends we tell a lie. Every time we lie, we hurt our soul and turn away from Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.
We are taught to covet (to envy), by watching all the flashy commercials or are we taught to get what we want even if we have to sin. People want the latest fashions of clothing, the newest technological games, big screen tvs and the popular toys at Christmas. Children get so many toys and electronic gadgets and then throw them away because they get tired of using them. Today, one of the fastest growing businesses is storage units to store excessive material goods. Has anyone ever seen a U-Haul trailer following a hearse to the cemetery? Rather than storing up earthly treasures, it’s better to store treasure in heaven, by helping the poor.
All of this sin is so ugly. Yet, God has something beautiful for us, His mercy. Where there is sin, grace abounds all the more. The good news is more and more cities and churches are erecting the 10 Commandments in defiance of government laws prohibiting them from being displayed because people are coming to the realization the Commandments are no longer held in esteem as they ought to be. People truly want our nation to be one nation under God.
From the depths of the hearts people are crying out for mankind to come back to God. People everywhere are sick and tired of the horrible things going on in the world. We are sick of all this sin and we want life to once again be beautiful. We want and we need to implore God’s divine intervention. But, God needs us. It all starts with each individual.
This is why Lent is so important. This is why fasting, prayer and almsgiving is called upon, so we ourselves will first turn back to loving God and loving our neighbor. That is why we repent of our sins and live our life to show we truly believe in the Gospel, by our actions. Penance and conversion will lead us back to God help others to come back to God.
God is infinitely merciful. The Heart of Jesus is open to forgive us and give us peace. All of us are sinners, we are all human. Jesus only wants us to come back to Him to seek forgiveness and if we fall, He will help us get back up and keep following Him.
Today, may we overturn the tables of our sins, and with great zeal cleanse the temple of our heart, so we will keep God’s commandments out love for Him and love our neighbor as our self.
And as we go through lent, may we fervently pray to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord. May She bring about the triumph of Her Immaculate Heart, so all that is evil in the world will be destroyed and peace will reign in the heart of every man, woman and child.