Kitchen Catechism: The Ten Commandments
These are the commandments which God gave to man to guide him to happiness in this life and in the next.
The Ten Commandments
1. I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
Commands: faith, hope, love, and worship of God, reverence for holy things; prayer.
Forbids: idolatry, superstition, spiritism, tempting God, sacrilege, attendance at false worship.
2. THOU SHALT NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
Commands: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows.
Forbids: blasphemy, the irreverent use of God's name, speaking disrespectfully of holy things, false oaths, and the breaking of vows.
3. REMEMBER THOU KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.
Commands: going to Church on Sundays and holy days.
Forbids: missing Church through one's own fault, unnecessary servile work; public buying and selling; court trials.
4. HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.
Commands: love, respect obedience on the part of children; care on the part of parents for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their children; obedience to civil and religious superiors.
Forbids: hatred of parents and superiors; disrespect, disobedience.
5. THOU SHALT NOT KILL.
Commands: safeguarding of one's own life and bodily welfare and that of others.
Forbids: unjust killing, suicide, abortion, sterilization, dueling, endangering life and limb of self or others.
6. THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
Commands: chastity in word, and deed.
Forbids: obscene speech; impure actions alone or with others.
7. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL.
Commands: respect for the property and rights of others; the paying of just debts; paying just wages to employees; integrity in public officials.
Forbids: theft; damage to the property of others; not paying just debts; not returning found or borrowed articles; giving unjust measure or weight in selling, not paying just wages; bribery; graft; cheating; fraud; accepting stolen property; not giving an honest day's work for wages received; violation of contract.
8. THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR.
Commands: truthfulness, respect for the good name of others; the observance of secrecy when required.
Forbids: lying, injury to the good name of others, slander, talebearing, rash judgment, contemptuous speech, and the violation of secrecy.
9. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE.
Commands: purity in thought.
Forbids: willfull impure thoughts and desires.
10. THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S GOODS.
Commands: respect for the rights of others.
Forbids: the desire to take, to keep, or to damage the property of others.
Imprimatur: Walter J. Kellenberg
Bishop of Rockville Center, NY
June 6, 1971