Living the life of Faith
This picture shows us how God gave the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Before he recived these Ten Commandments Moses prayed for forty days.
By giving these Ten Commandments, God wanted to guide us and to lead us to live a good life. The primary teaching of Christianity is to love the neighbour which is based on the love of God.
Ten Commandments
These Commandments, teach and guide us to become a Moral and Lawful person
The above chart, gives us a guidance to live a life, according to the Ten Commandments.
A long time ago, there was a great powerful king named Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. He was a King, who did not believe in the God of Israel, but believed in other mythical pagan gods. Once he asked his servants to make a golden statue and set it up at the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then the King gave orders to all his citizens to worship that statue, and he also declared, if anyone who does not bow down and worship the statue, he will immediately be thrown in to a blazing furnace. But there were three brothers, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were Jews, loved and worshiped whole heartedly the one and only God. These three brothers refused to worship the golden statue of king Nebuchandnezzar. Then king Nebuchadnezzar lost
his temper and ordered his men to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, and throw these brothers into the blazing furnace and kill them. Those who took them into the furnace were killed by the flames which came out of the furnace but none of these three brothers got hurt with fire, not even a single hair of theirs was burnt. The king and the others who were around there, saw those three brothers walking in the midst of the furnace.
(Daniel 3)
Today we are worshipping the same God who rescued them from the fire. At the same time we are directed to adore God alone, by the first Commandment. This is a good guidance to those who give their worship to trees, statues, models of animals and other different things, in the present society.
We should offer our supreme worship to God. The same God who rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will stay with us, and protect us from all evil then we can be sure that we are receiving the holy power of God, to overcome from all the challenges we are facing in our life.
There are three commands of God which directs us to worship God alone, out of them two are :
1. Thou shalt worship God alone
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
We will turn our attention to these two Commandments, which are mentioned in the book of Deutroronomy
We, who are Christians should observe these commandments of God which is in the sacred scriptures By doing that we can offer our selves and love to the supreme God. Therefore we will keep the first and second commandments in our minds.
Let us consider 'Do' and 'Donts' according to the first and the second commandments
We learned, from the verses 5:7-8 of the book of Deutroronomy, that we should not adore any person or a thing and consider God as the Father.
The statues of saints help us to pray. Those images help us to bring that relevant person into our minds. But saints can only pray for us. Because they intercede before God, we pray or make promises in front of statues.
God the Father is the only one who can and who is providing all our needs. At the same time, saints are giving a valuable example to us, for our Journey towards heaven. Because of that, all the pious devotions, we are doing towards saints should be done, only to give them honour or respect.
Also doing rituals and observing beliefs of non-christian religions, making oaths and worshipping are sins against the second commandment. In the Holy Scripture it is written, that the idolatrous practices and idol worshipping are abomination to the Lord.
The Lord God who is protecting you and me, had protected our forefathers and the people of God since the beginning of the world and in the past. That was wonderfully explained in the several places in the Holy Scripture, especially the book of 'Exodus' is one of the best example for that. We can be sure as it was in the past even today. God the Father is protecting you and me.
Therfore we should
• Adore God alone and offer Him Supreme worship.
• Use the name of God with due reverance and repect
• Live our lives pleasing to God
Through the life of righteousness with praise and worship we will experience God's graces flowing towards us as a river that never goes dry. If you try, you can also enjoy this wonderful experience.
Let us sing this Hymn.
Lord created sky and earth
All the animals and the trees
He made man for his glory
Let's sing and worship his glory
Chorus :
Come and enter into the house of God
Singing and praising his glory
Lord our God loved us all
Let us thank him for His goodness.
Saved us from sin - by his cross
Eternal happiness brought into our lives
Let us celebrate that great sacrifice
Singing and worshipping with reverance
Tune Edlewise
From the hymn.
1 Where do you have to enter according to that invitation?
2 What kind of task, were you asked to do by that invitation?
3 Give two reasons why we should sing and play instruments to worship God ?
4 What kind of inheritance has Jesus brought us through his sacrifice on the cross.
5 What is the day, that the parish community must gather together to praise, thank and worship God.
According to this commandment, we are obliged to participate in the Holy Mass, on all Sundays and on the days of obligation, which is demanded by the Catholic Church. Therefore it is important to know about the days of obligation.
We commemorate the Paschal Mystery, specially on Sundays. It is the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, for the atonement of the sins of all mankind. Jesus shed His blood and brought us forgiveness for our sins, and the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, through his infinite sacrifice.
Because of the forgiveness we have received, we must participate in the Sunday Holy Mass joyfully as one parish family, united in one mind.
God loved us so much, sent his only Son, to bring victory over death. Therefore we all must thank, praise and worship God our Father and Jesus Christ, who gave his life to redeem us. It is the main objective of the Sunday Mass.
God expects us to live a holy and righteous life. Therefore let us see the ways in which we can express our gratitude to God our Father, who created us and provides us everything for our lives.
⭐ We must actively participate in the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday.
⭐ We must attend Daham Pasala (Sunday School) to deepen our knowledge about God.
⭐ Find time to grow in unity within the family (eg. praying together, taking meals together)
⭐ Join with different associations, or confraternities. which give spiritual sustenance and do voluntary services in the parish.
⭐ Taking friends to attend and participate in the Sunday Mass.
⭐ Visiting the sick helping the poor
1. Missing Holy Mass
2. Attending to tution classes or going on field trips without attending Sunday Holy Mass and Daham pasala.
3. Doing work, on Sunday to earn money.
4. Talking, running, playing and joking inside the church.
5. Attending Mass in dresses with immodest styles.
You have to remember that the holiness, you should keep, will be destroyed by engaging in unnecessary work on Sunday and on the days of Obligation.
When you observe the Sunday and other days with righteous and in a holy way surely you can be a child
who is pleasing to God.
Then you can receive. His mercy and blessing, greatly into your lives - your life becomes filled with God's grace and joy. Because of that, you have to try always to be holy and righteous person.
We all like to live in unity and happily with different people, who are in our families, school and in our society. When we respect each other only, can we experience a life filled with joy and happiness. At the same time, we should learn to treat everybody with good manner and respect their dignity. Let us
find ways and means of how the teaching of the Commandments help us to make our society happy.
There are seven commandents which teach us to love our neighbour. They are from the 4th to the 10th commandment.
If we build our lives according to the commandments given above, the society we are living in, could be a place of peace and joy, where all can live with neither fear nor suspicion. Because of that, it is good to find what we should or should not do, when we practice the commandments of love
Sing the Hymn, given below
Chorus
Who are those in habit in the Lords tent
They are those who walking in the Lord's tent
Who are those who come to your holy hill
They are those who keep their own feet on God's hill
Those who have no bitter thoughts in their hearts
Those who work towards justice and peace
Those who always speak what is true
Those Who do not speak ill of others
Those who do not do evil to their brothers
Those who do not despise the names of other
Those who move away from all wrong habits
Those who give their lives for what is good and true
Those who do not give money on interest
Those who do not take bribes and trample others unjustly
Those who do not let the poor and needy suffer
Those who do not falsely accuse innocent folk
Those who send away the ill treaters
Those who respect and honour the God's people
Those who do not forget the promises what they made
They are the most fortunate and blessed people
Let's sing this Hymn
Chorus
Love one another
Warm as brotherly love
Live a life of unity
Enjoy peace in the Lord
Eager to show respect to others more than to you
Respect your neighbours leaving your proud thoughts
work hard with courage and do not ever be lazy
Serve the Lord God with a heart full of great devotion
In your happy days be joyful without being proud
In your troublesome days be patient without being discouraged
Do not ever forget the constant prayer to God
Lend your helping hand to all those who need your love.
Spread the God's peace among those who are persecuting you
If someone does you wrong do not repay him with a wrong
Be happy with a smile when there is laughter and joy
Be concerned of their pain and weep with those who are
weeping among you
Among those points, some say to forgive our enemies and for those who persecute us. Let us inquire about the scripture passage, which tells us, how we should love our enemies.
There is no difficulty to love those who love us. But it is difficulf to love those who harm and persecute us. But the above scripture passages tell us, that we should forgive our enemies. It clearly says that we should not take revenge at all.
All receive God's love, blessings and mercy. He loves all of us, very much. Jesus taught us that we must love our enemies, as our Heavenly Father does.
According to the above teaching, the enemy who harms us should be loved by us whole heartedly. God our loving Father, loves the good and the bad equally. Therefore, we also should love our friends as well as our enemies, as our Heavenly Father does. Loving enemies is a difficult task. But Jesus forgave those who mocked and insulted Him during the whole of His life. Finally they put Him to death by conspiracy.
Can you remember, when did Jesus say these words? An event, where Jesus was hanging on the cross with wounds, at the moment he was sentenced to a shameful death forgetting everything, Jesus forgave whole heartedly those who mocked Him and drank wine to celebrate their victory. It was the great moment of great love, revealed to the whole world
Let us find out about some people who forgive their enemies like Jesus Christ.
Saint Stephen
Have you heard about St. Sephen, who was a follower of Jesus Christ, and how he forgave his enemies
It states in the Holy Scripture. (Acts. 7:54-60) St. Stephen took the responsibility, and came foward to preach the true doctrine to the Jewish World. Because of that, he had to face persecution.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II, forgave his assasinator. That attempt was done by a person name Ali Agqua. He failed in his attempt, and the Pope was saved. But Ali was a sentenced and put into the jail. Pope John Paul II who visited Ali Agqua at his prison cell, hugged him with love, and forgave him whole heartedly.
Following the way that Jesus showed, Pope John Paul showed the world, how we should love our enemies. Try yourself to forgive your enemies. Try to become a child pleasing to God by forgiving your enemies
Always remember the example that Jesus gave by forgiving his enemies. Surely you can also become a blessed child. By forgiving you can experience a new life, filled with love.
The catholics who live in every country of the world, are members of the Catholic Church. It is the bounden duty and the responsibility of the church leaders, to guide these members in the correct path, according to God's word. Apart from the Ten Commandments, the law which the church has set, to guide the people on the correct path is named as the the Precepts of the Church. There are five Precepts:
They are -:
1. Attend mass on Sundays and Holy days of obligation.
2. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, at least once a year.
3. Receive Holy Communion at least once, during the Easter season
4. Observe the days of fasting and abstinence, established by the church
5. Provide for the needs of the church.
1. Attend Mass on Sunday and Holy days of obligation.
As people of God, the sacrifice we are offering to God is Holy Mass. It is a bounden duty and an obligation of the people of God, to attend Holy Mass on Sunday and on the days of obligation. To fulfill this obligation, it is necessary, that they should participate in the Holy Mass fully. It means, they should give active participation, from the entrance hymn to the final hymn, of the Mass. When we are participating in the Mass actively, it is good to refrain from unnecessary chatting which obstruct the concentration. Therefore we must participate at the Holy Mass whole heartedly. For that we should join in prayers, hymns and the responses for the community prayers.
This obligation does not bind for persons who are seriously ill, living far away from a church, engage in essential services, and similar circumstances. Otherwise all christians, who are above seven years of age, should observe this precept. However, those who are released from this obligation, should try to attend a prayer service, other devotion or engage in private prayer. We should not consider the Sunday obligation as a burden imposed on us. It is the expression of our love and gratitude to God for his loving kindness, showed towards us.
2. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year
We commit sins in the society we are living in. We sin with our knowledge, wilfully, or we sin through ignorance.
Because of our failures, wrong doings and sinful life, we break our relationships with God, our own brothers, sisters and our neighbours. Sometimes we may break our fellowship with others.
When we commit a mortal sin or a grevious fault, we must receive forgiveness, by going to confession. Because of that, the obligation of confession at least once a year, should be fulfilled by us.
Even if we don't have a mortal sin to confess, it is necessary to go to Confession at least once a year
3. Receive Holy Communion at least once during the Easter season
Because of the people's fear to receive Holy communion, this precept was introduced, in the past. But today our Holy mother Church teaches us to receive Holy communion at every Eucharistic Celebration and also the Church says: if we want to receive the full benefits the blessings of the Holy Mass, we have to receive Holy Communion during that same Mass.
4. Observe the days of fasting and abstinence, es tablished by the Church
⭐ Abstinence
Abstinence means, abstain from eating meat of the creatures who are living on the earth, on the days prescribed by the Church. Those days are
● Ash wednesday
● Good friday
● All Fridays of the year
⭐Fasting
Fasting here implies, taking only one full meal a day. Other two meals can be omitted or a light diet could be taken for the other two meals. The church establishes these days:
● As penance for our sins
● To train us to mortify our senses
● To make us imitate Christ, who was fasting for forty days in the desert.
The church strongly encourages us to fast and to engage in acts of alms giving of the food we collect from our fasting. The church teaches us to share that meal with a person who needs food. Therefore, giving alms is the main objective of fasting.
Fasting binds only those Catholics who have completed 18 years of age and under 60 years of age. But all are encouraged to fast voluntaily.
Every although Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are recommended by the Church as the days of fasting, Catholics can fast on any other day voluntarily.
5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the church.
To maintain the stability of an institution or an organization, it is common, that the members contribute something for its maintenance. In the same way this precept of the Catholic Church asks its members to give of their help to provide for the needs of the church according to their ability.
Maintaining the churches, providing the material needs of the clergy and for the different charitable works of the parish, these contributions help.
