Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 1st Sunday of Lent.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are nine (9) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the First Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not have other gods.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2136.
Our duty to give God an authentic cult – worship is twofold: alone and with others. We are to keep the First Commandment alone and with others. Even when only God can see the depths of our hearts and only the Saints from Heaven are looking on, we are to adore God alone. When together with others before meals, at work or at play only God is to be adored. In this way we keep the First Commandment. We are at once individuals and social beings and the First Commandment engages us on both levels.
How is it that we render to God authentic cult – worship alone? Personal prayer is a key part of the authentic cult – worship given to God by an individual. The Lord has directed us to pray to our Father in secret that He may repay us (cf. Matthew 6:6). This, of course, does not preclude our praying and worshiping and adoring God together with others which is also required by the First Commandment. We can make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament on our own, following the prompting of grace and worship God as individuals keeping the First Commandment. The same is true of praying the Stations of the Cross or the Holy Rosary of Our Lady.
The Sunday Mass or Eucharist is the supreme act of cult – worship made together with others. There are other manifestations of “public” or “social” acts of worship or cult given to God. To make a pilgrimage with others, to participate in processions with others, communal Stations of the Cross or recitation of the Rosary with others are all acts of worship – cult given to Almighty God by which we keep the First Commandment. That our Lord calls us to keep the faith publicly is implied when He directs us to not deny Him before others lest He deny us before the Almighty Father (cf. Matthew 10:33). Offences to this aspect of the First Commandment have been observed under Communist oppression (the USSR and it’s satellite such as Poland and East Germany, China, Vietnam, Cuba…) which deprived the Church and the all the faithful the freedom to worship, to gather, to teach and live the faith. Similar offenses include the Act of Supremacy (1534) and the Oath of Supremacy (1558) of Henry VIII and Elisabeth I respectively in England. Even in our own day some have attempted to limit the ‘freedom of religion’ to ‘freedom of worship’ which, while not unrelated are none the less distinct. Wherever the freedom of the Church is attacked it is an affront to Almighty God who established and sustains her so that He might be worshiped and adored by people made in His image, redeemed by His blood.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr