What is the quickest, easiest, most efficient path to arrive at my destination? Response! Checkout MapQuest on
line! After “Googling” in, bingo! There it is and as simple as a few clicks on
the computer. The colored map, the back-streets and Highways to take, North, South, East or West! Not only the
quickest route but also, the mileage and the precise time it takes to arrive at
my destination! Wow! What a time-saver over the famous “Thomas Map”, used far and wide for many years! If followed correctly, the end result will be safe arrival, home-sweet-home!
Now, “Spiritual-MapQuest”! What, you may ask??? Response!
Arriving safe and sound in New York or Manila or Rome, or the City of
Mexico is the purpose of MapQuest. Then,
should we not be even more concerned at arriving at our eternal destiny? St. Ignatius of Loyola in Principle and
Foundation paves the way for us, giving
the destiny of our “Spiritual MapQuest” in these simple but profound
words: “Man is created to praise God,
reverence God, serve God and by means of that to save his soul.” The classical catechism put it in these
concise but penetrating words: “We are
here to know God, love God, and serve God in this life so as to be with Him
forever in heaven.”
Arriving safe and sound in New York or Manila or Rome, or the City of
Mexico is the purpose of MapQuest. Then,
should we not be even more concerned at arriving at our eternal destiny? St. Ignatius of Loyola in Principle and
Foundation paves the way for us, giving
the destiny of our “Spiritual MapQuest” in these simple but profound
words: “Man is created to praise God,
reverence God, serve God and by means of that to save his soul.” The classical catechism put it in these
concise but penetrating words: “We are
here to know God, love God, and serve God in this life so as to be with Him
forever in heaven.”
What then is this “Spiritual MapQuest”
and the various roads, routes, freeways, possible detours that we must take to
get to heaven? The response: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS! Jesus states very clearly that He loves the
Father, that he loves all of us and every one of us individually. Still more He
does not want to limit His relationship to us in terms of slavery, but in
FRIENDSHIP. He said at the Last Supper,
“I call you friends because the slave does not know what the Master is doing
but you do!”. However, Jesus intervenes specifying how indeed we can be His
friends, and it is by obeying the Commandments.
and the various roads, routes, freeways, possible detours that we must take to
get to heaven? The response: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS! Jesus states very clearly that He loves the
Father, that he loves all of us and every one of us individually. Still more He
does not want to limit His relationship to us in terms of slavery, but in
FRIENDSHIP. He said at the Last Supper,
“I call you friends because the slave does not know what the Master is doing
but you do!”. However, Jesus intervenes specifying how indeed we can be His
friends, and it is by obeying the Commandments.
He said, “Not all those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ will
enter the Kingdom of God, but those who do the will of my Father.” Jesus is
indeed our model in deed and Word and he said, “My food is to do the will of my
Heavenly Father.”
enter the Kingdom of God, but those who do the will of my Father.” Jesus is
indeed our model in deed and Word and he said, “My food is to do the will of my
Heavenly Father.”
For many today the moral-compass has
been totally lost! As Pope Pius XII
asserted more than 60 years ago: “The
sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.”
been totally lost! As Pope Pius XII
asserted more than 60 years ago: “The
sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.”
Every follower of Jesus Christ has
the moral obligation to work on the formation of one’s conscience. Parents must form the conscience of their
children. Parents must strive on forming their own consciences. Priests must preach
and teach from the pulpit and in the context of catechetical formation meetings
the formation of the conscience by explaining with the utmost clarity the Ten
Commandments, the way to observe them, and the means of grace empowering the
person to live out the commandments.
the moral obligation to work on the formation of one’s conscience. Parents must form the conscience of their
children. Parents must strive on forming their own consciences. Priests must preach
and teach from the pulpit and in the context of catechetical formation meetings
the formation of the conscience by explaining with the utmost clarity the Ten
Commandments, the way to observe them, and the means of grace empowering the
person to live out the commandments.
The Ten Commandments takes us back to
Moses in the Old Testament. He received the ten Commandments on the top of the
mountain after praying and fasting for forty days and forty nights. Upon
descending and seeing the people who had fallen into the practice of idolatry,
by worshiping the golden calf, infuriated Moses broke the tablets on which were
written the ten commandments, pulverized the golden calf and cast the
remains in a near water-body. Then
Moses returned for the commandments again!
Moses in the Old Testament. He received the ten Commandments on the top of the
mountain after praying and fasting for forty days and forty nights. Upon
descending and seeing the people who had fallen into the practice of idolatry,
by worshiping the golden calf, infuriated Moses broke the tablets on which were
written the ten commandments, pulverized the golden calf and cast the
remains in a near water-body. Then
Moses returned for the commandments again!
What then are the Ten Commandments
and what is the order in which this “Spiritual MapQuest” should be engraved in
our memory?
and what is the order in which this “Spiritual MapQuest” should be engraved in
our memory?
Here then is the list! If not
memorized yet, let us engrave these in our memories, teach our children these
commandments and above all strive with the help of God’s grace to put them into
practice so that indeed we can truly be the friends of Jesus, remembering His
words: “If you love me keep my
commandments.” Calling to mind also the
words of the great teacher, catechist, Pope John Paul II, in his document on
catechism, “Catechesis Tradendae” that we have to go back to memorizing the
basics of our catholic faith. Of course one of the basic building blocks of the
Catholic-Christian faith is the Ten Commandments. Here is your SPIRITUAL MAPQUEST TO HEAVEN!
memorized yet, let us engrave these in our memories, teach our children these
commandments and above all strive with the help of God’s grace to put them into
practice so that indeed we can truly be the friends of Jesus, remembering His
words: “If you love me keep my
commandments.” Calling to mind also the
words of the great teacher, catechist, Pope John Paul II, in his document on
catechism, “Catechesis Tradendae” that we have to go back to memorizing the
basics of our catholic faith. Of course one of the basic building blocks of the
Catholic-Christian faith is the Ten Commandments. Here is your SPIRITUAL MAPQUEST TO HEAVEN!
1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor your father and your mother.
5. You shall not kill.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Therefore, we know clearly our
eternal destiny—to be united with God forever one day in heaven. There is no pursuit more important in our
lives than to place all of the energy of our will, all the keenness of our
intellect, all the time at our disposal to attain this goal.
You now have your “Spiritual MapQuest”
and it has ten directions that must be followed and they are the Ten
Commandments. If by chance, we make a wrong turn, run into a detour on the way,
run over a nail or sharp glass on the way puncturing a tire or even go North
when we should have been going South, we can always “Re-route”, readjust by
stopping at the Spiritual Repair shop known as the confessional, get new oil,
gassed up, a new set of tires, a new frame if needed and then once again return
to the highway that leads to heaven.
and it has ten directions that must be followed and they are the Ten
Commandments. If by chance, we make a wrong turn, run into a detour on the way,
run over a nail or sharp glass on the way puncturing a tire or even go North
when we should have been going South, we can always “Re-route”, readjust by
stopping at the Spiritual Repair shop known as the confessional, get new oil,
gassed up, a new set of tires, a new frame if needed and then once again return
to the highway that leads to heaven.
Mary has many beautiful titles. Star of the Sea, morning star, star of the New Evangelization, the moon that
precedes the sun, and in Spanish, “Santa Maria del Camino”—meaning, Holy Mary of the way. She can lead us to the true “Way,” Jesus
Christ, who is “The WAY, the Truth, and the Life!
precedes the sun, and in Spanish, “Santa Maria del Camino”—meaning, Holy Mary of the way. She can lead us to the true “Way,” Jesus
Christ, who is “The WAY, the Truth, and the Life!
