Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are fourteen (14) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Seventh Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not steal.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2461.
When considering the Seventh Commandment, ‘You shall not steal,’ we rightly often think of bank robbers and burglars. There are other sorts of theft. To not allow for true human development is another form of theft. Here we consider true human development.
True human development develops the capacities of each person. Human development is not only physiological, from the first moment of our existence at conception when we are but one cell, even to full physical stature and unto old age, but also spiritual. While not all of us are necessarily called to be “rocket scientists” (although some may well be so called), others of us will be doctors or lawyers or cooks or maids or whatever. These various professions, all forms of honest work, are part of our human development. Let us use the abilities and strength God gives to do the best we can, to His glory and our salvation, working out in fear and trembling our salvation (cf. Philippians 2:12). Part of the scourge of communism as practiced in the former Soviet Union was a stunted liberty, as so often one’s path in life was chosen by the state, regardless of any personal desire to be gymnast, miner… The ability to read and write and to do arithmetic are all basic foundations of human development, as are food, clothing and shelter.
True human development allows each one to make a full response to a personal vocation, call from God. To be indifferent as regards the moral life, knowing and living the virtues is another form of poverty and a robbing of the precious inheritance which millennia of human thought, including religious and revealed teaching have bequeathed to the human race. Development does not just have to do with dollars and cents, stock portfolios, the building of buildings and corporations but also and of no less importance, the quality of our character. In fact, this is a more precious treasure which neither moth nor thief can rob or destroy (cf. Matthew 6:19–20).
Our personal vocation is the very call of God. We have already looked at the mystery of vocation when considering the Fourth Commandment, “Honor your father and your mother.” God calls each of us. Some are called to Holy Marriage as husbands and wives, some to Religious Life as brothers or sisters, monks or nuns, yet others are called to Holy Orders as bishops, priests or deacons. Others live out their lives by bearing the fruit of Baptism and Confirmation, as leaven in society (cf. Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20–21). Every person has been called by God to be holy and pleasing in His sight (cf. Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:16). Keeping God’s Commandments respects His rights over us.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr