It is a great blessing to be born into a loving family, cared for by our natural parents. We all suffer because family life was damaged by the sins of Adam and Eve, and by our own sins. By obeying the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, we can make life much happier for ourselves and for others.
The Sixth Commandment: You Shall Not Commit Adultery; The Ninth Commandment: You Shall Not Covet Your Neighbor’s Wife
The Sixth Commandment deals with actions, and the Ninth Commandment deals with thoughts. These two commandments forbid the use of our sexuality outside of marriage. These two commandments are explained in detail in the Old and New Testaments. For example, Jesus condemns sinful thoughts: “You have heard that it was said of old: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that anyone who looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).
Offenses against the Sixth and Ninth Commandments include adultery, fornication, contraception, sodomy, masturbation, pornography, and immodesty. These offenses can happen in thoughts, actions, or words.
Obeying the Sixth and Ninth Commandments
We may not be tempted to rob or kill someone, but we can be strongly temped to use that person sexually. We should obey the commandments for two reasons: (1) God has the authority to tell us what to do, and (2) bad things happen when we disobey God.
God Can Tell Us What to Do
Adam and Eve fell for the lie that happiness comes from making our own rules. As a result, we have trouble trusting God. It may seem that God wants to deprive us of good things. In Western culture, it is not fashionable to obey God. We live with many bad influences. We must resist them and fill our minds with the things of God.
The Bad Effects of Unchastity
One may imagine a situation when sex outside marriage won’t hurt anyone. Look harder, and we see bad effects like destructive relationships, children without their parents, and conflicts fueled by jealousy.
Our choices affect others, from generation to generation. Any choice we make, good or bad, is like a pebble dropped into a pond. The waves spread out and bounce off the shores. They never stop moving.
The Sixth and Ninth Commandments are a sure guide for our lives. On Judgement Day, may we find that we have blessed the lives of millions of people!
Vocabulary
Covet: To have an unruly desire for something belonging to another.
Lust: An inappropriate desire for sexual pleasure.
Chastity (or Purity): the virtue which helps us to keep our sexuality within its proper limits.
Marriage: The permanent, exclusive, formal union of two persons of opposite sex.
Virtue: Strength, coming from faith, which helps us to do what is right.
Many thanks to:
Saint Joseph New Catholic Bible, 2019, Catholic Book Publishing Corp.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., Pocket Catholic Catechism, 1989, Doubleday
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary, 2001, Eternal Life
