Petty Theft and the Seventh Commandment

Q: I work in an ice cream parlor part time. After hours we help ourselves to all the ice cream we want without paying. Is that really stealing? Everyone does it and our boss doesn’t pay us what we’re worth anyway.

A: Yes, that is stealing, which is against the seventh commandment.

The Catholic Church teaches that in some circumstances, you may be less responsible for a bad thing you do. For example, if you hurt someone because they’re trying to kill you, you’re less responsible for the act itself, but that doesn’t make it right. This doesn’t apply in your case – and even if it did, it still wouldn’t make it the right thing to do.

We read in the Bible, “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” (Lk. 16:10) This is great advice. If it is easy for you to steal ice cream today, it will be easier for you to steal big things in the future.
If you don’t think you’re getting paid what you’re worth, it would be a much better, and much more Christian idea, to get a new job than to steal from your boss.

Michael

Catholic and Protestant -- The 10 Commandments

Q: What’s the deal with the Ten Commandments? My Protestant friend says that their Ten Commandments are different than Catholic’s.

A: The Ten Commandments were given by God through Moses in Exodus. Our Lord handed on these commandments to His Church and gave it power to make new laws as time went on. In the sixteenth century, Protestants interpreted Exodus 20 differently than Catholics, and expanded the commandments in different ways.

One Protestant version reads:
1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet.

And the Catholic version:
1. I am the Lord your God: You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Jenna

Not Just for Confession

Examination of Conscience for Teenagers

Before going to confession, you should examine your conscience. That is, you should take time to look deeply into your heart and determine whether or not your past actions have had a damaging effect on your soul. In order to make a good confession, you need to review your past thoughts, words, and actions.

But self-examination isn’t just for confession. You should make frequent use of it. It's a good idea to take time each night, before failing asleep, to look deeply into your intentions and the choices you made that day. In making this a habit, you will not have any difficulty in recalling your sins when you do go to confession. Making a habit of daily self-examination will also help you avoid sin when first confronted with it.

We often hear about the importance of exercising our bodies. We should also exercise our souls. After all, our souls are eternal. Daily examination will help us form our will and become better people. As the Prophet Jeremiah sings in his Lamentations: “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!” (La. 3:40)

Team members Christian, Amanda, and Austin wrote the following examination, based on the Ten Commandments, to help you in this task.

Prayer Before Examining Your Conscience
O Holy Spirit, please guide my heart and my mind. Help me to recall my sins so that I may confess them and commit to being a better person. Guide me as I examine my conscience. Help me recognize my faults, do better in the future, and avoid sin from this day forward. Help me form my will, make it strong so that I am able to say no to all things that corrupt my soul. I want to please You and be a better Christian. I want to be an example to all my friends and loved ones. Amen.

The First – You shall have no gods before me
Do I love God more than things – money, clothes, popularity, appearance?
Do I set aside time to talk to God?
Do I stand up for my faith when challenged?

The Second – You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain
Do I use the Lord’s name casually, without even thinking?
Do I use cuss words to look tough or cool?

The Third – Remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy
Do I go to Mass on Sundays and holy days?
Do I receive the Eucharist respectfully?
Have I received communion without confessing a mortal sin?
Do I do unnecessary work or shopping on Sunday?

The Fourth – Honor your mother and your father
Do I honestly speak with respect to my parents?
Do I go behind my parents’ back when I want to do something that they disapprove of?
Do I use respectful words in describing my parents to others?
Do I recognize and appreciate the sacrifices that my parents make for me?
Do I take differences of opinion to my parents for discussion? Or do I turn them into fighting matches?

The Fifth – You shall not kill
Have I put myself, or others, in danger by driving recklessly? With drug, alcohol, or tobacco use? Have I harmed my body by not eating right? With self-mutilation? By using prescription drugs irresponsibly?
Do I stand up for the right to life, especially for the elderly, sick, and unborn?

The Sixth and Ninth – You shall not commit adultery
- You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife
Do I respect the dignity of my body?
Do I dress attractively, yet modestly (not to attract attention to my body)?
Do I keep my mind pure by avoiding inappropriate movies, video games, magazines, websites, etc.?
Do I control my fantasies?

The Seventh and Tenth – You shall not steal
- You shall not covet anything that is your neighbors
Do I respect others’ private property?
Do I cheat at school or pressure others to help me cheat?
Am I jealous or greedy? Or am I thankful for God’s gifts to me?

The Eighth – You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
Have I lied to keep out of trouble rather than own up to my mistakes?
Do I lie to myself in order to justify my actions?
Do I gossip or exaggerate stories to look cool in front of my friends?
Do I keep my promises?

Ask before going to confession
How long has it been since my last good confession?
Did I hide any sins from the priest?
Did I do the penance the priest gave me?

“I turned my mind to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the sum of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness which is madness.” (Eccles. 7:25)