Q and A on the 10 Commandments (Pt 1)

Q. Do we, as Catholics, still have to obey the Ten Commandments? After all, we’re not living in the Old Covenant age, but under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. Even Saint Paul says, “you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). And we know that Jesus will forgive us, even if we happen to break the commandments, right?

A. Whoa…hold on just a minute! You’ve made two assumptions in your question that are unwarranted. First, let me address your last point. Of course, it is possible for Jesus to forgive us – provided we repent. We must have true sorrow for our sins and a firm purpose of amendment to avoid sin in the future. It doesn’t mean that we have to live impeccable (i.e. sinless) lives from now on – our struggle against sin will continue for as long as we live.

I’d also like to rephrase something else you said. No one actually “breaks” any of God’s commandments – whether it be the Decalogue or any other divine command. You can’t break them – you can only break yourself against them. No one ever “gets away” with breaking God’s commandments. God created us and knows the best way for us to live. It’s like the owners manual for a car – you can “break” the owner’s manual by pouring beer in the gas tank – but the car won’t run like it should. In fact, it may even wind up irreparably damaged, depending on the severity of the action. One could be forgiven, of course, for doing such a thing, but the car in many ways will never be the same. And that danger exists for us, too, if we break the commandments of God.