442. What is implied in the affirmation of God: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2)? (part 4 continuation)
(Comp 442 repetition) This means that
the faithful must guard and activate the three theological virtues and must
avoid sins which are opposed to them. Faith believes in God and rejects everything
that is opposed to it, such as, deliberate doubt, unbelief, heresy, apostasy,
and schism. Hope trustingly awaits the blessed vision of God and his help,
while avoiding despair and presumption. Charity loves God above all things and
therefore repudiates indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness, sloth or
spiritual indolence, and that hatred of God which is born of pride.
“In brief”
(CCC 2134) The first commandment
summons man to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him above all else.
(CCC 2133) "You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength"
Deut 6:5).
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2091) The first commandment is also concerned with sins
against hope, namely, despair and presumption: By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God,
for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is
contrary to God's goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his
promises - and to his mercy. (CCC 2092) There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon
his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on
high), or he presumes upon God's almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain
his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit).
Reflection
(CCC 2093) Faith in God's love
encompasses the call and the obligation to respond with sincere love to divine
charity. The first commandment enjoins us to love God above everything and all
creatures for him and because of him (Cf. Deut 6:4-5). (CCC 2094) One can sin
against God's love in various ways: - indifference
neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its
prevenient goodness and denies its power. - ingratitude
fails or refuses to acknowledge divine charity and to return him love for love.
- lukewarmness is hesitation or
negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself
over to the prompting of charity. - acedia
or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to
be repelled by divine goodness. - hatred
of God comes from pride. It is contrary to love of God, whose goodness it
denies, and whom it presumes to curse as the one who forbids sins and inflicts
punishments. [END]
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