Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are six (6) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Tenth Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2552.
The Tenth Commandment, ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods’, forbids avarice (greed), and derelict cupidity. Avarice is extreme greed for wealth or material gain. Sacred Scripture, God’s Holy Word, exhorts us to hate avarice (Exodus 18:21), to cast avarice away (Isaiah 33:15), and that avarice renders us worthy of death (Romans 1:29–32). Saint Thomas Aquinas (+1274) highlights the especially sinfulness of avarice (also translated covetousness) in his Summa Theologiae II-II Q. 118, A. 1–3, citing Romans 1:29; 2 Corinthians 9:5; Hebrews 13:5. Covetousness is a sin both externally and internally. Externally in the things we desire and acquire, internally in our disordered affections. The lack of moderation which is signified by avarice or covetousness can involve both the acquisition and keeping of riches as well as the immoderate interior affection for riches. As a vice avarice or covetousness is opposed to liberality or generosity. The Greek terms philarguria, pleonexia are sometimes translated as avarice Greed is the intense and selfish desire for food, wealth, or power. The Hebrew terms bachel, yaanah, havvah have all been translated as relating to greed (cf. Proverbs 11:6). Derelict cupidity, from the Latin cupiditas, cupidus (desirous), is the shamefully negligent poor condition of our soul resulting from our abandonment to greed for money or possessions. The disordered love of money is the root of all evil (cf. 1 Timothy 6:10). The Lord Jesus Himself warns us to watch out and be on guard against all kinds of greed since life does not consist in an abundance of possessions (cf. Luke 12:15).
Immoderate passion for riches and the power they bring is also a sin against the Tenth Commandment. To desire wealth is not a sin. How else will we pay the rent, buy food and clothing, give alms??? It is when we focus all our energies, forsaking all other aspects of life upon money that we break this Commandment. The key is moderation. The way we earn our income is also not negligible. If we are engaged in honest work, receiving an honest remuneration there is no sin. If there are still some things we are unwilling to do for the sake of riches in opposition to God and neighbor our covetousness, avarice and greed are only venially sinful. When we act against the love of God and neighbor through covetousness or avarice we sin mortally. Theft and robbery and other forms of unjust taking or retaining the property of another are mortal sins which flow from a covetous, avaricious heart and are mortal sins against justice. Bernie Madoff (b. 1938) who was convicted of securities fraud, money laundering, theft from an employee benefit plan, among other things in 2009, is an example of what not to do
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr