The Fourth and Fifth Commandments

The Fourth Commandment - honor your father and your mother

- Honor is due to our parents and guardians, and to those whom God has vested with authority for our own good.

• The fourth commandment calls for obedience. The word “obey” comes from the Latin word obidire, meaning “listen to”

• Our parents and guardians want what is good for us, and in return we have the responsibility to give respect and obedience

• We should understand that rules are made for the good of all

• As Jesus obeyed the Father, so too should we obey

• The fourth commandment also requires giving assistance and care to your parents

• The well-being of a person and of society is closely linked with healthy and stable families

• Children have an obligation to give their parents respect, gratitude, just obedience, and help when needed.

• Parents have the duty to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children

• Parents should respect their child’s talents and vocations

• Civil authorities are given responsibility for children outside the home

• Public authority is obliged to respect the fundamental rights of each person

• Citizens must work with authorities to build up society

• Citizens are obliged in conscience NOT to follow directions of authorities only when they go against God’s laws and harm human dignity

The Fifth Commandment – You shall not kill

• Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God

• The fifth commandment obliges us to respect human life from the moment of conception until natural death

• We are called to avoid anything that harms or destroys life, and support anything that improves the condition of life.

• Every person is unique and loved by God. The fifth commandment calls us to nurture life in everyone

• Robbing a person of life is assuming power that belongs only to God. This includes:

- murder - abortion - euthanasia - culpable suicide

• Other sins against life are violence, fighting, revenge, hurtful words, prejudice and discrimination

• Legitimate defense is defending life against an aggressor (self defense, police and military action...)

- this is not sinful because it is done for the purpose of protecting life

• The fifth commandment also calls us to take care of our health and to avoid harmful excess (abuse of food, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc)

• We are also responsible for our own and one another’s spiritual life. We are to avoid scandal, which damages a reputation. This includes defamatory speech and gossip.