First Commandment

The numbers in parenthese that follow the questions refer to related paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

First Commandment

1. What is the first commandment of God?
2. What did Jesus say about the first commandment?
3. What does the first commandment require of us?
4. How do we practice our faith?
5. How can a Catholic sin against faith?
6. What is heresy?
7. What is apostasy?
8. What does it mean to hope?
9. How do we sin against hope?
10. What is presumption?
11. What is despair?
12. Do we owe God love?
13. How do we sin against love?
14. What is adoration?
15. How do we worship God?

1. What is the first commandment of God?
The first commandment of God is:

You shall have no other gods before me (Dt 5:7). You shall not go after other gods...for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God (Dt 6:14-15).

2. What did Jesus say about the first commandment?
Jesus said:

For it is written, "The Lord your God shall you worship, and him alone shall you adore" (Mt 4:10).

3. What does the first commandment require of us?
The first commandment requires us to love God above all things, to serve him and adore him alone. To adore God means to worship him as our sovereign Creator and Lord, avoiding the sins of idolatry and sacrilege. (2096-2097)

You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve (Lk 4:8).

4. How do we practice our faith?
We exercise faith by believing in God and all he has revealed, and by witnessing to our belief by the way we live. A strong faith calls us to make the effort to develop and grow in it. (2087-2088)

Through him we have received the grace of apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all nations for the sake of his name (Rom 1:5).

5. How can a Catholic sin against faith?
A Catholic sins against faith by joining a non-Catholic church, by denying a truth of faith or by being indifferent to the Catholic religion. (2088-2089)

Fight the good fight with faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience certain persons have made a shipwreck of their faith (1 Tm 1:18-19).

6. What is heresy?
Heresy is the deliberate denial of a truth of faith. (2089)

7. What is apostasy?
Apostasy is complete rejection of the Christian faith by a baptized Catholic. (2089)

8. What does it mean to hope?
We need God's grace to live good lives. We must confidently hope for his continued blessings until we enter his presence. (2090)

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! (Ps 31:24).

9. How do we sin against hope?
We can sin against hope by presumption and despair.

Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we will also reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal 6:9).

10. What is presumption?
Presumption is the sin of expecting that God will save us without any effort on our part, or presuming that we do not need God's help to reach heaven. (2092)

What you should say is, "If the Lord wills it we will live and we will do this or that," but in your arrogance you boast (Jas 4:15-16).

11. What is despair?
Despair is the sin of refusing to believe that God will give one the necessary help to reach salvation. Despair is an act of the will, not to be confused with feelings of depression or anxiety. (2091)

We are afflicted in every way, but we are not crushed, uncertain but not in despair (2 Cor 4:8).

12. Do we owe God love?
Our belief in God's love requires a response of love. We love God above all others and we love them for love of him. (2093)

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but
to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul... (Dt 10:12).

13. How do we sin against love?
We sin against love in many ways: by hating God or our neighbor, by envy, sloth, ingratitude, giving scandal, etc. (2094)

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against...your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord (Lev 19:17).

14. What is adoration?
Adoration is the worship we give to God alone as the infinitely holy and Supreme Being. (2096-2097)

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might (Dt 6:4-5).

15. How do we worship God?
We worship God with public and private prayer, especially the Mass or Eucharistic Celebration, and with acts of faith, hope and charity. (2098)