Rules to Live By: 3rd Sunday of Lent Reflection

How often do we hear someone say, “The church has too many rules.” Or something along those lines as an excuse to not practice the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic faith.

Well, everyone has rules.

We are facing that reality today as only 20% of Catholics are attending Mass every given Sunday. The other 80% lost their faith during their life. They even take it upon themselves to pick and choose which ones they’ll follow.

In today’s readings, we see that Moses is given 10 commandments everyone should live by. These ten are broken into two categories.

The first three pertain to God. It was providential that three were set aside for God because God’s Chosen people were carving idols and worshipping them, and many neglected their obligations to worship their only God on the seventh while resting. It even correlates to today’s gospel when Jesus saw how God’s house was desecrated by being turned into a marketplace and “den of thieves”.

Isn’t providential we hear this passage after what happened at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York? A transactivist, living in the state of mortal sin, had a funeral in the one of the largest churches in New York. What was shocking about all of this was how it turned into some vile rally. There was no Mass. Read more here.

The other seven commandments pertain to our neighbor and everyday practice. They range from being pure, not lying, protecting one’s human dignity, stealing, or being envious towards someone.

Indeed, the Catholic Church does have rules. They are not hard to follow. At the same time, they are the ways for each of us to get to heaven.

As we embark on the 3rd Week of Lent, let us be sure that we are following God’s and not what the devil is influencing us to do. It’s all or nothing.