§1456Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous th…

§2262In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord recalls the commandment, "You shall not kill,"62 and adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred, and vengeance. Going further, Christ asks his disciples to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies.63 He did not defend himself and told Peter to leave his sword in its sheath.64 Legitimate defense

§2336Jesus came to restore creation to the purity of its origins. In the Sermon on the Mount, he interprets God's plan strictly: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."122 What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.123 The tradit…

Perfect righteousness was conferred neither by circumcision nor by any other legal ceremonies. The Decalogue, however, was not cancelled by Christ, but is always in force: men were never released from its commandments. 1. Moreover, we learn from the Scripture itself, that God gave circumcision, not as the completer of righteousness, but as a sign, that the race of Abraham might…

2. But why, one may say, if He was to come from thence, did He live in Nazareth after the birth, and obscure the prophecy? Nay, He did not obscure it, but unfolded it the more. For the fact, that while His mother had her constant residence in the one place, He was born in the other, shows the thing to have been done by a Divine dispensation. And for this cause, let me add, neit…

2. For look not to this only, that He cast him out of paradise, but mark also the gain that arose from thence. For after having cast him out of paradise, and having wrought those countless good works, and having accomplished His various dispensations, He sent even His own Son for the sake of them that had been benefited by Him and were hating Him, and opened Heaven to us, and u…

2. See how much care he takes for them to relieve them from blame, and how much diligence they employed, so as not to leave to themselves so much as a shadow of an excuse. For which was right? To let go the acknowledged criminal, or Him about whose guilt there was a question? For, if in the case of acknowledged offenders it was fit there should be a liberation, much more in tho…

Source. Translated by J. Walker, J. Sheppard and H. Browne, and revised by George B. Stevens. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 11. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210212.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Adven…

2. But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery. What mystery? For surely Christ says, Matthew 10:27. &#x03B7;&#x03BA;&#x03BF;&#x1F7B;&#x03C3;&#x03B1;&#x03C4;&#x03B5; rec. text &#x1F00;&#x03BA;&#x03BF;&#x1F7B;&#x03B5;&#x03C4;&#x03B5; What you have heard in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops. How then does he call it a mystery? Because that neither angel nor archangel, nor any other…

2. But if any should say, therefore the Lord has not a body because He is said to be from heaven, although what is said before is enough to stop their mouths: yet nothing hinders our silencing them from this consideration also: viz. what is, the Lord from heaven? Does he speak of His nature, or His most perfect life? It is I suppose evident to every one that he speaks of His li…

Chapter 10.—Whether It is to Be Believed that Our First Parents in Paradise, Before They Sinned, Were Free from All Perturbation. But it is a fair question, whether our first parent or first parents (for there was a marriage of two), before they sinned, experienced in their animal body such emotions as we shall not experience in the spiritual body when sin has been purged and f…

He who had brought me up, sold me to one Rhoda at Rome. Many years after this I recognised her, and I began to love her as a sister. Some time after, I saw her bathing in the river Tiber; and I gave her my hand, and drew her out of the river. I then thought within myself, saying, "How happy should I be if I had a wife of such beauty and manner."

I charge thee, saith he, to guard thy chastity, and let no thought enter into thy heart of another man's wife, or of fornication, or of any such things; for in so doing thou committest a great sin. But if thou always remember thine own wife, thou wilt never sin.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. These commandments now following are easily understood from the preceding; for they are all to the effect that we beware of doing any injury to our neighbor. They are arranged in fine order. In the first place, his own person is addressed. Then the next commandment proceeds to the nearest treasure next his body, namely, his wife, who is one flesh…

Q. Does God, in this commandment, forbid only such scandalous sins as adultery? A. We are temples of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and holy. That is why he forbids everything which incites unchastity, whether it be actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires.