Jesus gave us two commandments that the Ten Commandments are contained within. He told us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourself.
So as Christians we move forward in life clinging to those two commandments. But even with this we can get off track for it calls for judgment in the heart when making decisions and it also requires a maturity in our discipleship so we are familiar with the will of God and his ways.
The farther we are away from God…the earlier we are in our spiritual growth the more we can easily lose course and while our intention may be good, our results may not be according to the commandments of God.
But the readings today from Sirach in the Old Testament to the Gospel are emphatic that all commandments are to be part of our discernment and prayer.
If we make a decision based on the two greatest commandments Jesus gave us but they contradict the Ten Commandments, we are in error.
For loving God means we don’t take his name in vain, we don’t choose anything in this life ahead of God. We may think loving a spouse or another more than all else is a good expression of loving others as ourselves. And certainly those of us who are married love our spouses above all other humans including our children.
But they cannot be our first priority. Our love for God must be greater. And so we cannnot say I am loving others and am good… because we have broken the commandment to love God above all others. And place no one above him.
In Sirach we hear,
If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live; he has set before you fire and water to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
Before man are life and death, good and evil,
whichever he chooses shall be given him.
Immense is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
The eyes of God are on those who fear him;
he understands man’s every deed.
No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.
So we choose life or death each day. We choose eternal life with God or to worship in eternal life something else.. and since we take nothing with us to eternal life we spend eternal life away from God and empty and alone. That is hell.
This coming Lent is a good time to search our actions and choices and ask have I even as I prayed to Jesus everyday, even as I attended Mass and received the Eucharist, have I broken any commandments unknowingly? Have I chosen to focus my life on something else besides God?
In the end that is what we are called to do. Put God first, follow the commandments and choose life.
Jesus commandments to love God and others is a guide for us and sum of all commandments. Pray for understanding and wisdom this Lent to always choose Jesus and the commandments.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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