“Moses said to the people: ‘If only you would heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in the book of the law, when you return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul...it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.’”
I wonder if I can list the ten commandments. Do I realize they reflect the two great commands of Jesus to ‘love God above all things and my neighbor as myself?’ Can I discover in them all a single word to make sure I observe them? That word is ‘respect.’
When we fail to put them into practice we weaken our relationship with Jesus, or even sometimes break that relationship completely. We have the great gift of reconciliation to restore the Christ life in us and assist us in our growth in holiness. The sacraments are the force which enable us to grow and resist sin and temptation.
by Rev. William J. Reilly