March 7. Sunday, Lent 3B.  “Love is his law.”    Moira shared, “It is a pity that there has been so little catechism this last year due to the various lockdowns.”  “But families have had a chance to do their own “family catechesis” haven’t they?”  Benny asked. ”I know in my family we had a whole discussion about the Ten Commandments. I first had to check if the teenagers could remember them, but it turned out to be very helpful to talk about an important related issue.  The commandment may be, “Do not commit adultery” but for today the high incidence of gender-based violence is certainly a related issue. 

Scripture: In those days God spoke, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, the Lord am a jealous God.   You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. Ex  20:1-17.

Pope Francis:  Every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness.  Each person is not just something, but someone, capable of self-knowledge and self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. The relationships with God, our neighbour and the earth have been broken by sin.  St Francis experienced harmony through universal reconciliation with every creature.  This is a far cry from our situation today where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in various forms of violence and abuse. LS 65-6. 

Reflect, share, act, pray.  How can we contribute to harmony and reconciliation in creation and especially in human relationships?  What action can we take  against cruelty to animals, poaching or gender-based violence?