What Does Each of the Ten Commandments Mean? A Catholic Explanation
Each of the Ten Commandments protects something basic to human life: the first three protect our relationship with God, and the other seven protect our relationships with other people. The commandments are short, but each one opens onto a whole area of life. "You shall not kill" is about more than murder, and "You shall not steal" is about more than theft. This article explains the meaning of each commandment in Catholic teaching, one by one, from the first to the tenth. For each one, you will find what it forbids, what it calls us to do, and what the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church teach about it.
The Ten Commandments cover the whole of life. The first three teach us to worship God alone, honor his name and keep the Lord's Day holy. The other seven teach us to respect our parents and to protect life, marriage, property, truth and a heart free from lust and greed.
For the Catholic list and why Catholics and Protestants number the commandments differently, see The Ten Commandments: Catholic List, Meaning and Bible Verses, and for what Jesus taught about them, see Do Christians Still Have to Keep the Ten Commandments?
- What Does the First Commandment Mean: "I Am the Lord Your God; You Shall Not Have Strange Gods Before Me"?
- What Does the Second Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord Your God in Vain"?
- What Does the Third Commandment Mean: "Remember to Keep Holy the Lord's Day"?
- What Does the Fourth Commandment Mean: "Honor Your Father and Your Mother"?
- What Does the Fifth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Kill"?
- What Does the Sixth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Commit Adultery"?
- What Does the Seventh Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Steal"?
- What Does the Eighth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor"?
- What Does the Ninth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's Wife"?
- What Does the Tenth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's Goods"?
- Frequently Asked Questions
The table below gives a quick overview of all ten commandments before we look at each one in detail.
| Commandment | What it forbids | What it calls us to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me | Idolatry, superstition and putting anything in God's place | Believe in God, trust him, love him above all and worship him alone |
| 2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain | Blasphemy, false oaths, broken vows and careless use of God's name | Honor God's name in prayer and praise, and keep our word |
| 3. Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day | Neglecting worship and letting work fill all our time | Attend Mass on Sunday and set the day apart for God, rest and family |
| 4. Honor your father and your mother | Contempt, neglect and disrespect toward parents | Respect, gratitude and care for parents, especially in old age |
| 5. You shall not kill | Murder, abortion, euthanasia, and hatred and anger toward others | Protect and respect every human life |
| 6. You shall not commit adultery | Adultery and other sexual sins | Faithfulness in marriage and chastity for everyone |
| 7. You shall not steal | Theft, fraud, unjust wages and dishonesty in business | Honesty, fairness and generosity toward those in need |
| 8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor | Lying, false accusations, gossip and slander | Truthfulness and protecting other people's reputations |
| 9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife | Deliberately feeding lustful desires | Purity of heart |
| 10. You shall not covet your neighbor's goods | Greed and envy | Contentment and gratitude |
What Does the First Commandment Mean: "I Am the Lord Your God; You Shall Not Have Strange Gods Before Me"?
The first commandment means that we must put God first: believe in him, trust him, love him above everything else and worship him alone. It is the foundation for all the other commandments. The phrase "strange gods" is an older way of saying "other gods" or "foreign gods."
Notice again how the commandment begins. God does not start with a demand. He starts with a relationship: "I am the LORD your God." Everything that follows flows from knowing who God is and what he has done.
What Is Idolatry According to the First Commandment?
Idolatry means giving to something created the worship, trust or ultimate loyalty that belongs only to God. In the ancient world, this usually meant bowing to statues of other gods. The Catholic Church teaches that idolatry is broader than that. Anything can become an idol if we treat it as the thing that gives our life its final meaning and security.
The first commandment also rules out other ways of putting something in God's place, such as superstition (treating objects or rituals as if they worked like magic), fortune-telling and attempts to control the future through occult practices. Each of these looks for power, knowledge or security somewhere other than God.
What Can Become a False God in Modern Life?
Anything good can become a false god in modern life when we love it more than God, including money, career, power, pleasure, relationships and even ourselves. Few people today bow down to statues of Baal, but the human heart has not changed. Common examples include:
- Money and possessions: Jesus said plainly, "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24, RSV-2CE), meaning wealth.
- Success and career: when achievement becomes the measure of our worth.
- Power, status and reputation: when what others think of us matters more than what God thinks.
- Pleasure and comfort: when feeling good becomes the goal of life.
- Relationships: when a person becomes the center of our life in the place that belongs to God.
- The self: perhaps the most common idol today, when our own will and wants become the final authority.
A simple test is to ask: What do I think about most? What do I fear losing most? What would I refuse to give up, even if God asked? The honest answers often point to our idols.
What Does the Second Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord Your God in Vain"?
The second commandment means that we must treat God's name with reverence in the way we speak, pray and make promises. In the Bible, a name is more than a label. It stands for the person, so to honor God's name is to honor God himself.
What Does Taking God's Name in Vain Mean?
Taking God's name in vain means using it emptily or falsely: treating the holy name as if it meant nothing, or using it to support a lie. To do something "in vain" means to do it emptily or for nothing.
In ancient Israel, the most serious form was swearing a false oath, calling on God as a witness to something untrue (Leviticus 19:12). Today, it includes:
- using God's name or Jesus' name carelessly as an exclamation;
- using God's and Jesus' names as swear words, which has become common in mainstream media and Hollywood films and makes the habit seem normal;
- blasphemy, which means speaking with hatred, contempt or mockery toward God;
- making a promise or vow in God's name and then breaking it;
- lying under oath (perjury);
- using God's name to justify cruelty, manipulation or personal gain.
Does the Second Commandment Apply Only to Swearing?
No. Many people think the second commandment is only about "swearing" in the sense of cursing or bad language. Crude language is a problem of its own, but the commandment is more about how we use God's name than about vulgar words.
The commandment also has a positive side. It calls us to use God's name in prayer, praise and thanksgiving. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Hallowed be thy name" (Matthew 6:9), which means "may your name be treated as holy." Jesus also warned against making casual oaths at all, and told his followers to be people whose simple "yes" and "no" can be trusted (Matthew 5:33–37). A person whose word is reliable does not need to call on God to prove it.
What Does the Third Commandment Mean: "Remember to Keep Holy the Lord's Day"?
The third commandment means setting apart one day each week for worshiping God and resting, which Catholics keep on Sunday, the Lord's Day. In the Old Testament, the third commandment required Israel to keep the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week (Saturday), as a day of rest and worship. Work stopped for everyone, including servants, foreigners and even animals (Exodus 20:10). The Sabbath reminded Israel that God is the Creator and the one who set them free, and that their lives did not belong to endless work.
Catholics keep this commandment on Sunday, the Lord's Day. The purpose remains the same: to set aside time for worshiping God, resting and caring for family and others. Jesus himself taught that "the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). The day of rest is a gift, not a burden.
Why Do Catholics Worship on Sunday Instead of Saturday?
Catholics worship on Sunday because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, "the first day of the week" (Mark 16:2; John 20:1). The risen Jesus also appeared to his disciples on that day (John 20:19, 26).
The New Testament shows Christians gathering on Sunday from the very beginning. In Acts 20:7, believers meet "on the first day of the week" to break bread, which refers to the Eucharist. Paul told the churches to set aside money for the poor on the first day of every week (1 Corinthians 16:2). John calls Sunday "the Lord's day" (Revelation 1:10).
Christian writings from the generations after the apostles confirm that believers continued to gather for worship on Sunday.
This answers a common claim that a Roman emperor or a later pope changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. The New Testament itself shows Christians gathering on the first day of the week during the lifetime of the apostles, long before any emperor or pope could have changed it.
Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath?
It depends on the Christian tradition: many Protestants call Sunday the Christian Sabbath, while the Catholic Church teaches that Sunday fulfills the Sabbath rather than simply replacing it. Some Protestant traditions call Sunday the "Christian Sabbath," meaning the Sabbath has simply moved from Saturday to Sunday. Seventh-day Adventists and Seventh Day Baptists continue to keep Saturday.
The Catholic Church teaches something slightly different. Sunday is not just a relocated Sabbath. The Sabbath marked the end of the first creation. Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, marks the beginning of the new creation in Christ. The Catechism says Sunday fulfills the Sabbath: it keeps the moral purpose of the commandment (regular time set apart for God and rest) while celebrating the greater event of Jesus rising from the dead. Paul describes the Sabbath and other Jewish festivals as "a shadow of what is to come," while "the substance belongs to Christ" (Colossians 2:16–17).
Why Are Catholics Required to Attend Mass on Sunday?
The Church requires Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation because the Eucharist is the center of Christian life. At the Last Supper, Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Gathering for the Eucharist on the Lord's Day is how the Church has always obeyed that command.
This requirement is one of the precepts of the Church, and it is set out in Church law. A few points help clarify what it means:
- Attending a Mass on Saturday evening, the vigil of Sunday, fulfills the obligation.
- People with a serious reason, such as illness or the care of infants or the sick, are excused.
- Deliberately missing Sunday Mass without a serious reason is considered a grave sin in Catholic teaching.
The obligation is not meant as a burden. The letter to the Hebrews encourages believers not to neglect meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). Just as a family is strengthened by gathering at the same table, the Church is strengthened when believers gather each week around the altar.
What Does the Fourth Commandment Mean: "Honor Your Father and Your Mother"?
The fourth commandment means treating our parents with respect, gratitude and care throughout their lives, and obeying them while we are children. It is the first commandment about our relationships with other people. It begins with the family, the first place where each person learns love, trust and respect. It is also the only one of the Ten Commandments that comes with a promise: "that your days may be long in the land" (Exodus 20:12). Paul points this out in Ephesians 6:2–3.
The Catholic Church teaches that this commandment also covers other relationships of rightful authority and responsibility, such as between students and teachers, employees and employers, and citizens and their country. It also reminds parents of their own duties toward their children (Ephesians 6:4).
What Does It Mean to Honor Your Parents?
To honor your parents is to treat them as people who matter and deserve respect.
For young children, honor includes obedience. As children grow, honor takes the form of respect, gratitude, patience and kindness. It means not speaking of your parents with contempt, listening to their advice, and remembering the life and care they gave you.
Does the Fourth Commandment Still Apply When You Are an Adult?
Yes. The commandment was first given to adults, not just to children. The Catechism teaches that when children grow up, their duty of obedience to their parents ends, but their duty of respect never does.
For adults, honoring parents often means caring for them in old age, sickness, loneliness or financial need. Jesus criticized religious leaders who allowed people to avoid supporting their parents by declaring their money a gift to God (Mark 7:9–13). Paul wrote that anyone who does not provide for his own family "has disowned the faith" (1 Timothy 5:8).
What Does Honoring Your Parents Mean When the Relationship Is Difficult or Abusive?
When the relationship is difficult or abusive, honoring your parents does not mean obeying wrongdoing or accepting abuse. It can mean refusing hatred, praying for them and forgiving where possible, while keeping safe boundaries. This is a painful question for many people, and it deserves a careful answer.
Honoring a parent does not mean obeying them when they ask you to do something wrong. When the apostles were ordered to disobey God, they answered, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Honoring a parent also does not mean accepting abuse, staying in harm's way or pretending that wrong was not done. God's law protects the dignity of every person, including children.
The Bible also holds parents responsible for how they treat their children: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger" (Ephesians 6:4). Parents who abuse their children fail in their own duty under this commandment.
For someone with a difficult or abusive parent, honor may take quieter forms: refusing to speak with hatred or contempt, praying for the parent, and, where possible and safe, working toward forgiveness. Forgiveness is not the same as trust or reconciliation. A person can forgive from the heart while keeping safe boundaries. If you are in an abusive situation now, reaching out to someone you trust, a pastor, a counselor or local support services is not a failure to honor your parents. It is the right thing to do.
What Does the Fifth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Kill"?
The fifth commandment means that no one may deliberately take an innocent human life. It rests on the truth that every human being is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Because each human life belongs to God, no one has the right to take an innocent life.
Does "You Shall Not Kill" Mean That All Killing Is a Sin?
No. The commandment refers to unlawful killing, the deliberate killing of an innocent person. This is why some English translations, such as the NIV, render it "You shall not murder." The same Old Testament law that forbids killing also permits killing in some circumstances, such as a nation defending itself in war. So the commandment cannot mean that every act that causes death is a sin.
The Catholic Church teaches that the direct and intentional killing of an innocent human being is always gravely wrong. At the same time, it recognizes some situations where taking a life may be morally permitted, such as legitimate self-defense and defending a nation against unjust attack under strict conditions (the "just war" tradition).
The death penalty is one of the most sensitive questions under this commandment. The Bible allowed capital punishment for certain serious crimes (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12), and Paul writes that the governing authority "does not bear the sword in vain" (Romans 13:4). Christians, including Catholics, hold differing views on whether it should be used today. Each reader must weigh hard questions in light of God's word. Does a person convicted of sexually abusing children deserve the death penalty? What about a convicted rapist, or a serial killer? What does justice require for their victims?
Does the Fifth Commandment Allow Self-Defense?
Yes. The Catholic Church teaches that defending yourself or others from an unjust attack is legitimate, and that loving yourself is part of the moral law. If a person uses only the force needed to stop an attack, and the attacker dies as a result, the defender has not broken the fifth commandment.
The key is intention. The defender's goal is to stop the attack, not to kill. The Church also teaches that people responsible for the safety of others, such as parents, police officers and soldiers, may have not just a right but a serious duty to defend those in their care.
What Does the Fifth Commandment Teach About the Value of Human Life?
The fifth commandment teaches that every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. For this reason, the Catholic Church teaches that abortion and euthanasia are gravely wrong, because they deliberately end innocent human lives. The commandment also calls us to protect life in positive ways: caring for our health, avoiding reckless behavior, and helping people in danger, poverty or illness.
The same respect for life applies to our own life. The Church teaches that our life is a gift entrusted to us by God. It also teaches, with great compassion, that deep suffering, mental illness and fear can greatly reduce a person's responsibility, and it prays with hope for those who have died by suicide. If you are struggling, please talk to someone you trust or contact a crisis line in your country.
Jesus took this commandment even deeper. He taught that it is broken not only by murder but also by anger, hatred and contempt for others (Matthew 5:21–22). The fifth commandment begins in the heart.
What Does the Sixth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Commit Adultery"?
The sixth commandment means being faithful in marriage and using the gift of sexuality as God intended. It protects marriage and the gift of human sexuality. In the Bible, marriage is a lifelong covenant between a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6). Adultery breaks that covenant. It betrays the spouse, harms children and families, and damages the trust on which marriage depends.
What Is Adultery According to the Bible?
In the Bible, adultery means sexual relations between a married person and someone other than his or her spouse (Leviticus 20:10). It was one of the most serious sins in Israel's law because it attacked the family, the foundation of society.
The prophets also used adultery as a picture of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. When the people worshiped idols, the prophets described it as a wife betraying her husband (Jeremiah 3:8–9; Hosea 2). This shows how seriously the Bible treats faithfulness in both relationships.
Does the Sixth Commandment Apply Only to Adultery?
No. The Catholic Church teaches that the sixth commandment covers the whole area of human sexuality, not just adultery. It calls every person to chastity, meaning the right use of sexuality according to his or her state in life. For married people, chastity means faithfulness to their spouse. For unmarried people, it means abstaining from sexual relations.
The Catechism lists several actions as contrary to this commandment, including lust, fornication (sexual relations between unmarried people), pornography, prostitution and rape. It also names offenses against the dignity of marriage, such as divorce, polygamy and living together outside of marriage.
What Did Jesus Teach About Adultery and Lust?
Jesus taught that adultery begins in the heart before it becomes an action: "every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). He was not saying that noticing someone's attractiveness is a sin. He was warning against deliberately looking at another person as an object of sexual desire.
Jesus also showed great mercy to people who had sinned sexually. When a woman caught in adultery was brought to him, he protected her from being stoned, and then told her, "Go, and do not sin again" (John 8:11). Jesus held both truths together: sin is serious, and forgiveness is always possible.
What Does the Seventh Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Steal"?
The seventh commandment means not taking what belongs to others and using what we have with justice and generosity. It protects the right of people to own and use what they have earned or received. It also calls us to justice and generosity in how we use material goods. The Catholic Church teaches that the goods of the earth are ultimately meant for the benefit of all people, so the seventh commandment includes caring for the poor and not just avoiding theft.
What Counts as Stealing According to the Seventh Commandment?
Stealing means taking or keeping something that belongs to someone else against that person's reasonable will. This obviously includes theft and robbery, but it also includes:
- keeping things you borrowed or found when you know who the owner is;
- damaging someone else's property on purpose;
- not repaying debts you are able to pay;
- wasting or mismanaging what has been entrusted to you.
Stealing also creates a duty to repair the harm. When Zacchaeus, a dishonest tax collector, met Jesus, he promised to repay anyone he had cheated four times over (Luke 19:8). The Church teaches that returning stolen goods, or making up for them, is part of true repentance.
Does the Seventh Commandment Apply to Fraud and Dishonesty?
Yes. Theft is not only taking something with your hands. It can happen with a pen, a keyboard or a contract. The Catechism names examples such as business fraud, paying unjust wages, tax evasion, forging documents, deliberately doing poor work while being paid for good work, and charging unfair prices by taking advantage of someone's ignorance or hardship.
The Bible is especially strong on fair treatment of workers. The law of Moses commanded employers to pay workers on time (Leviticus 19:13), and James warns the rich that the unpaid wages of their workers "cry out" to God (James 5:4).
What Does the Eighth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor"?
The eighth commandment means telling the truth and not harming other people with our words. It protects truth and people's reputations. Human life together depends on trust. When people cannot trust each other's words, families, friendships, businesses and courts all break down. The commandment calls us to be people of truth, reflecting a God who is truthful (John 14:6).
What Does Bearing False Witness Mean?
Bearing false witness means giving false testimony, especially lying in court or falsely accusing someone. "Bearing witness" means giving testimony. In its original setting, the commandment forbade lying in court. In ancient Israel, a person's life, freedom or property could depend on the testimony of witnesses. Anyone found to be a false witness was given the penalty they had tried to bring on the accused person (Deuteronomy 19:16–19).
Today, the commandment still forbids lying under oath and false accusations. But its meaning reaches much further, into every area where our words affect others.
Does the Eighth Commandment Mean That Lying Is a Sin?
Yes. The Catholic Church teaches that lying, which means deliberately saying something false in order to deceive, is a sin. The Bible describes the devil as "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44), and Paul tells Christians to put away falsehood and speak the truth to one another (Ephesians 4:25).
Not every lie is equally serious. A lie that damages someone's life, reputation or justice is far more serious than a small lie told to avoid embarrassment. But all lies harm trust and damage the person who tells them.
People often ask about hard cases, such as hiding an innocent person from someone who wants to kill them. The Catechism teaches that the right to know the truth is not unconditional. We are not required to reveal the truth to someone who has no right to it or who would use it to do harm. Catholic moral teachers have long discussed how to protect innocent people in such cases while remaining truthful, for example by staying silent or refusing to answer. This is not the same as helping someone avoid the law. Christians are also called to respect just laws (Romans 13:1), so protecting an innocent life from a killer is very different from hiding a person from the police or immigration officials so that he can escape the law. Such situations are rare. In everyday life, the commandment is simple: tell the truth.
Does the Eighth Commandment Include Gossip and Slander?
Yes. The Catechism names several ways we can harm others with words:
- Rash judgment: assuming the worst about someone without enough evidence.
- Detraction: revealing someone's real faults or failures to people who did not know them, without a good reason. This is what most people mean by harmful gossip. The information may be true, but spreading it still damages the person.
- Calumny (slander): saying false things that harm someone's reputation. This is both lying and injustice.
James warns that the tongue, though small, can set a whole forest on fire (James 3:5–6). Just as with stealing, a person who has damaged someone's reputation should try to repair the harm, for example by correcting what was said.
What Does the Ninth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's Wife"?
The ninth commandment means not deliberately desiring another person's husband or wife. It moves from actions to the heart. The sixth commandment forbids adultery; the ninth forbids the desire that leads to it. The commandment applies equally to women and men, and to desiring anyone who is married to someone else.
What Does It Mean to Covet Another Person?
To covet means to deliberately desire something, or someone, that is not yours to have. Coveting another person means choosing to dwell on the desire to possess them sexually, especially when that person belongs to someone else in marriage.
It is important to understand what this does not mean. A passing thought, feeling or attraction that comes to mind is not in itself a sin. Temptation is not sin. Jesus himself was tempted (Hebrews 4:15). The sin lies in freely choosing to welcome, feed and dwell on the desire.
The Catholic Church calls the virtue that guards this commandment "purity of heart." Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). Purity of heart grows through prayer, modesty, guarding what we look at, and treating others as persons, not as objects.
What Is the Difference Between the Sixth and Ninth Commandments?
The sixth commandment is about sexual actions. The ninth commandment is about sexual desires and thoughts. A simple way to remember it is that the sixth commandment guards the body and the ninth commandment guards the heart.
The two are closely linked, because actions begin as desires. As James explains, desire gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings death (James 1:14–15). By addressing the heart, the ninth commandment deals with sin at its root.
What Does the Tenth Commandment Mean: "You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor's Goods"?
The tenth commandment forbids greed: the desire to have what belongs to someone else, or an unlimited hunger for wealth and possessions. Like the ninth commandment, it is about the heart. It completes the Ten Commandments by showing that God cares not only about what we do but also about what we want.
What Does Coveting Possessions Mean?
Coveting possessions means wanting someone else's property so strongly that you would be willing to take it unjustly, or letting the desire for more take over your life.
Not every desire for things is coveting. It is natural and good to want food, a home, a reliable car or a better job. Wanting something similar to what someone else has, and working honestly for it, is not a sin. Coveting begins when desire becomes disordered: when we want what belongs to another person, when we resent them for having it, or when the desire for more replaces trust in God. Jesus warned, "beware of all covetousness; for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). Paul described the opposite, the peace of having learned to be content in every circumstance (Philippians 4:11–12).
What Is the Difference Between the Seventh and Tenth Commandments?
The seventh commandment forbids stealing, which is an action. The tenth commandment forbids greedy desire, which happens in the heart. The seventh guards our hands; the tenth guards our wants.
Just as the ninth commandment addresses the root of adultery, the tenth addresses the root of theft, fraud and exploitation. Most stealing begins with coveting.
Is Envy the Same as Coveting?
No. Envy and coveting are closely related, but not identical. Coveting is desiring what belongs to someone else. Envy goes a step further. The Catechism describes envy as sadness at the sight of another person's good things, together with an excessive desire to have them. Envy can even lead a person to wish that the other person would lose what they have.
In other words, a covetous person says, "I want what you have." An envious person says, "I am unhappy that you have it." Envy is one of the seven capital sins, called "capital" because it leads to many other sins, such as resentment, gossip and hatred. The remedy is gratitude for what God has given, and learning to rejoice in the good things of others (Romans 12:15).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Ten Commandments only about what not to do? No. Most of the commandments are worded as "You shall not," but two are positive: keep holy the Lord's Day, and honor your father and mother. Each negative commandment also points to a positive duty. "You shall not kill" calls us to protect life. "You shall not steal" calls us to be fair and generous. "You shall not bear false witness" calls us to be truthful. The "shall nots" mark the boundaries, and within those boundaries is the call to love God and neighbor.
If you break one commandment, have you broken them all? The Bible says something like this: "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" (James 2:10). This does not mean that all sins are equally serious. It means the commandments form a single whole, because they all come from the same God and express the same love. Breaking any one of them is a failure to love God, who gave all of them.
Is breaking one of the Ten Commandments always a mortal sin? Not always. The Catholic Church teaches that a sin is mortal when three conditions are all met: the matter is grave, the person has full knowledge that it is seriously wrong, and the person freely and deliberately chooses it. The Catechism says grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments. But many sins against the commandments involve less serious matter, such as a small lie, or are committed without full knowledge or freedom. These are venial sins. They still damage our relationship with God and others, but they do not destroy it.
How do Catholics use the Ten Commandments in Confession? Many Catholics prepare for the Sacrament of Confession by making an examination of conscience based on the Ten Commandments. They go through each commandment and ask honest questions, such as "Have I put anything before God?" or "Have I damaged anyone's reputation?" This helps them recognize their sins, take responsibility for them and confess them. Many parishes and Catholic websites offer printed examinations of conscience arranged by the ten commandments.
This article is the second of three on the Ten Commandments. The other two, on the Catholic list of the commandments and on what Jesus taught about them, are listed below in Explore Other Articles.
