Pope Francis turned his attention to the Ninth and Tenth Commandments at the Wednesday General Audience.
The Holy Father said the injunctions – “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife… You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods” – are more than the last Commandments. “They are the fulfillment of the journey through the Decalogue, and arrive at the heart of everything which is delivered to us therein.” Noting that they are already contained in the Commandments on adultery and stealing, Pope Francis said the Ninth and Tenth indicate “the confines of life, the limit over which a person destroys themself and their neighbor, spoiling their relationship with God.”
Evil desires
The Pope said the last two Commandments are united by the common root of “evil desires” that lurk in the human heart.Jesus, he said, teaches that all sin is ultimately born of covetousness (cf. Mk 7:23). He said the Decalogue similarly points out that the heart must be free. “God’s precepts can be reduced to the beautiful façade of a life that remains a slave’s existence and not one of sons and daughters.”
Pope Francis said the Ten Commandments teach us how to live rightly with one another and with God, and show us our need for a change of heart. “We must let our mask be taken off by these commandments about desire, because they show us our poverty so as to bring us to a life of holy humility.”
He said we need Holy Spirit to help us.
“It is futile to think of purifying our heart through a titanic effort of the will. We must open ourselves to a relationship with God, in freedom and in truth.”
Law Opens Heart to God
The purpose of the Biblical Law, the Pope said, is “to bring one to their truth, that is, to their poverty, which becomes an authentic and personal openness to the mercy of God that transforms and renews us.” Pope Francis said the Commandments enable us to live righteously in the sight of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and taught by the Holy Spirit. “The last words of the Decalogue teach us to recognize ourselves as beggars, and help us to face the disorder of our hearts, so as to stop living selfishly and to become poor in spirit.” Finally, Pope Francis said those who live the Commandments with humble, open hearts will be blessed.
“It is they who know how to show compassion and mercy to others, because they have felt it within themselves.”
The Holy Father's Message to young people in preparation for the XXXIV World Youth Day 2019, which will be celebrated in Panama, is centred on the theme: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). The Message, published on the day of the celebration of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, concludes a cycle of three Marian messages dedicated to young people along their journey WYD 2016 to WYD 2019.
A statement by the Vatican Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life said that for the first time, the Message of the Holy Father in preparation for WYD is being published principally in the form of a video message, so that it can reach the greatest number of young people; and respond to their desire, expressed during the recent synodal process, to communicate with the Church through forms closer to their own language.
In his address, the Holy Father addresses all the young people of the world — believers and non-believers — encouraging them to discover the characteristic values of youth. It recognizes their willingness to serve others and invites them to put this attitude into practice from a Christian perspective: “To be at the service of others does not only mean to be ready for action. It means also to be in conversation with God with an attitude of listening, just like Mary. She listened to what the angel said to her and then she responded,” says the Holy Father.
The video message serves as an instrument of spiritual preparation for the next WYD in Panama 2019 and also as an inspiration for youth ministry throughout the world. The next World Youth Day will be celebrated from January 22-27 in Panama.
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