Down to Brass Tacks ...

I was at an activity this weekend where I was really struck by something. We had a group of folks together, and the conversation turned to some of the basics of the Catholic Faith. One of the group (and it wasn't me, I promise!) asked another (again, not me -- but you probably guessed that) what the Fifth Commandment was, and the poor person was left speechless.  So, given that, I broke open my trusty-dusty copy of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore's "Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity" ... where they have a GREAT list of the basics of the Catholic Faith. So, let's get down to brass tacks:

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

(Exodus, chapter 20)

1. I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day.
4. Honour thy father and thy mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour' s wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.

THE SIX PRECEPTS OF THE CHURCH

1. Attend Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation.
   [In case you were wondering, in the United States those are: Jan. 1 (Mary, the Mother of God), Ascension Thursday (40 days after Easter), Aug. 15 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Nov. 1 (All Saints' Day), Dec. 8 (Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary), and Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)]
2. Fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent.
3. Make a sacramental Confession at least once a year.
4. Receive the Eucharist during the Easter Season (from Easter Sunday to Trinity Sunday).
5. Contribute financially and materially to the support of the Church.
6. Observe the laws of the Church regarding marriage. (The U.S. Bishops have a short summary here.)

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS AND OPPOSING VIRTUES

Pride  --  Humility

Greed  --  Generosity

Lust  --  Chastity

Anger  --  Gentleness

Gluttony  --  Temperance

Envy  --  Brotherly love

Sloth  --  Zeal

I hope this helps to "dust off" your faith ... and sharpen those brass tacks!