SAINT JOSEPH COLLEGE OF SINDANGAN INCORPORATED

COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
S.Y. 2020-2021

RS 7 (PASTORAL APOSTOLATE)

Name : Course/Year/Date: _________

Block & Class Schedule: Instructor: ___

Module 3
Lesson Title: REFRESHING TEN COMMANDMENTS
I. Learning Target/s: At the end of the lesson, the students CAN:
1. define the nature of Ten Commandments
2. Create a “My Commandments” that will serve as their guide in life like
how the ten commandment of God guide them as a Catholic.
References:
 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic
Education. Catechism for Filipino Catholics. Manila: Word and Life Publications, 1997
 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic
Education. Catechism of Catholic Church. Manila: Word and Life Publication, 1994
 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic
Education. Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Manila: Word and Life Publications,
2005
 Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Holy Bible – The New Revised Standard Version. United
States of America: Catholic Bible Press, 1993
Values: Love of God
Time duration: 3 hours
Week 3

II. Activating Prior Knowledge: Answer the exercise below.

Write your own ideas and insights of what a commandment is.

III. TOPIC/ DISCUSSION

INTRODUCTION
- Exodus 20:1-17
A. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN HISTORY
- The passage from Exodus 20 narrates the Ten Commandments which God gave to Moses after
the liberation of the Israelites from slavery (Mt. Sinai).
- The Ten Commandments were part of God’s covenant with Israel (Ex. 34:28)
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 - The Decalogue (literally means “Ten Words”) serves as a guide that would govern the covenant
relationship.
- Purpose of the rules: to maintain right relationship with God and with one another.
- God commanded Moses to place the Ten Commandments in the Ark of the Covenant.
- This Ark was put in the tabernacle in the Holy of Holies.
- Throughout Israel’s history, the Ark symbolized the presence of God
- It was in keeping a covenant with God that His presence was also with Israel.
- God’s existence was revealed to the world through His covenant with Israel.
- In the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments was a covenant of love given by God for the
people.
- The Ten Commandments serve as a guide to lead us to a personal relationship with God through
Jesus Christ in the New Covenant.
- The whole law hangs on these two commandments: Love the Lord and Love your neighbor.
- It means that we are supposed to make good relationships with God (first three) and with one
another (last seven).

B. VALIDITY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

- According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2069 – 2070), the Ten Commandments form a
whole in which all of the commandments relate to.
- No one can relate to God authentically while sinning against one’s neighbor or rejecting our
heavenly Father.
- In Matthew 19:16 – 19, Jesus replied by quoting the Commandments when asked what one must
do to possess eternal life.
- For Christ and His apostles, the Commandments represented the great gift of God’s love.
- In instituting his New Law in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not abolish but rather fulfilled
the Law and the Prophets (Mt. 5:17)
- Christ taught that “whoever breaks the least of these commands and teaches others to do so
shall be called least in the Kingdom of God” (Mt. 5:19).
- In the Gospel, the Old Law is not set aside but rather transformed.

C. THE VALUE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. The Ten Commandments constitute the basic imperatives (necessity or essence) needed for life
in community. (same with “Bill of Rights”)
- They sketch for us the limits or parameters within which we, the People of God, must live
our life of faith, hope, and love in our redeeming Lord and among ourselves.
- The Commandments actually point to two directions: they call for reverence for God and
respect for our fellow human beings.
- But the Commandments are far from being a code of rigid rules and don’ts, they shall be
interpreted in their “spirit”.

2. The lasting exceptional value of the Ten Commandments can be grounded in their historical
origin, their covenantal character, and their liberating power.
- The Commandments originated not from some particular process of philosophical reasoning
nor from mystical contemplation, but from the concrete historical events of Exodus and Mt.
Sinai.
- The Commandments are terms of the Covenant, revealing the pattern of life which is
righteous in God’s sight, the way of life which leads to happiness.

3. The Decalogue is that great liberating act of God which stands at the center of salvation history.
- Though the Commandments have the form of prohibitions, they are also a deliverance from
the slavery of sin.
- The Commandments provide the signposts to authentic responsible freedom, showing the
way between legalistic misunderstanding of freedom on one side, and freedom mistaken as
lawless license and irresponsibility on the other.

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 D. THE COMMANDMENTS IN CHURCH TRADITION
- CCC 2064 confirms that the tradition of the Church has acknowledged the importance and
significance of the Decalogue.
- The Ten Commandments have occupied a predominant place in the catechesis of baptismal
candidates and the faithful ever since St. Augustine (CCC 2065).
- The Council of Trent teaches that the Ten Commandments are obligatory for Christians and
that the justified man is still bound to keep them (CCC 2068).
- The Second Vatican Council confirms: “The bishops, successors of the apostles, receive from
the Lord…the mission of teaching all peoples, and of preaching the Gospel to every creature,
so that all men may attain salvation through faith, Baptism, and the observance of the
Commandments (LG 24).

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

(Exodus 20:1-17)
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall not have other gods before me.
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s 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 neighbour.
9. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife.
10. You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.

IV. ACTIVITIES/ LEARNING EXPERIENCES

A. Clarifying Understanding
Directions: Directions: Answer the following questions correctly. Write the correct answer on the space
provided.
________1. Serve as a guide to lead us to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ in the New
Covenant.
________2. Literally means “Ten Words” serves as a guide that would govern the covenant relationship.

________3. Occupied a predominant place in the catechesis of baptismal candidates and the faithful ever
since St. Augustine.
________4. It point to two directions: they call for reverence for God and respect for our fellow human
beings.
________5. Teaches that the Ten Commandments are obligatory for Christians and that the justified man is
still bound to keep them.

B. Processing Questions
Explain briefly:
1. What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments for the Israelites?

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 C. Lifelong Learning

1. Of all the commandments of God, which is the most difficult to abide? Which is the easiest? Why?

ACTIVITY SHEET NO. 3

PASTORAL APOSTOLATE
A. Explain the following concisely
Use the space provided for your answer. You can use English or Filipino in your explanation.

5 4 3 2
The essay is The essay is The essay is partial The essay shows
Content thorough and very insightful. or incomplete. misunderstanding or
insightful. misconception.

C. The Ten Commandments served as the guide for us to be aware of our actions. As a student, make your own
commandment that will also serve as a guide in your life to continue your mission as a child of God.

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Note: Submit required tasks in a neat and presentable manner.

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