The first three commandments point us in the direction of our creaturehood. in light of the Creator’s personal concern for us:

• I am the Lord your God, you shall not have strange gods before me.
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
• Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

The seven that refer to our interpersonal relationships are:

• Honor your father and your mother.
• You shall not kill.
• You shall not commit adultery.
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
• You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

There is a unity in the Decalogue. Each commandment is connected to the others. God makes it possible for us to live the commandments through his grace.

In the following months we will consider each commandment in itself and as it relates to the world in which we live.

Sources:

‘The History of Business Ethics,’ by Richard T. De George (From “The Accountable Corporation,” Volume 2, edited by Marc J. Epstein and Kirk O. Hanson; Praeger Publishers, 2006).

“A Modern Approach to the Spiritual Exercises,” by David M. Stanley, S.J. (The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1967).

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church” (An Image Book, Doubleday, 1995; numbers 2052- 2557).