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Moses brings down the Tablets of the Ten Commandments

The glory of God rested upon the 'Ark of the Covenant', a precious box surmounted by two cherubs, in which the tablets of the Commandments given by God to Moses were kept.

Moses brings down the Tablets of the Ten Commandments

The Godhead is like an opaque cloud, in that we cannot pierce it by our sight to understand God's plans and thoughts. Yet we know His Will for us, which is that we keep His Commandments and fulfil our daily duties.

When Christ taught His disciples the 'Beatitudes', He was speaking about perfection. He knew that the people who heard Him already knew the importance of keeping the Commandments.

Christ said that a person who professes to love Christ whilst refusing to keep the Commandments or do the Will of Christ in other matters is like a man holding up a door, to prevent someone approaching, whilst still smiling and expressing devotion.

Some people want intimate friendship with Christ, but refuse to keep His Commandments. In refusing, it is as though they insist on walking a different road from His Way to Heaven. They end up on dangerous side-roads or cul-de-sacs.

People who have been helped by our intercession can be brought to the edge of the bridge that Christ has constructed for us, which leads to Heaven. The handrails represent the Church, the firm grid beneath our feet, the Commandments. People who ignore warnings rush wherever they please, and fall through the gaps into the flames below.

Many of the Clergy are content to encourage their flocks in doing good; yet they neglect those people by failing to warn them of the grievous consequences of deliberate rejection of God, the Church or the Commandments. Falsely supposing that a man will be saved, no matter what sort of life he has led, they never mention Eternal suffering in Hell

In ancient times, when God gave the Commandments to Moses, God forbade the making of images. He was helping a primitive people to turn away from idolatry. But ever since the living, invisible God has revealed to the world His Son Jesus Christ, the 'living image' of the Father, Christians have rightly used imagery to inspire and educate fellow human beings.

On the heights of Sinai, God gave the truth to Moses, in the Ten Commandments. These showed out the truth about the purpose of life, and about the relations between men and women. These truths can never change. No wise theologian contradicts them to say that God's will need not reign supreme, or that men and women can make their union sterile not fruitful.

Just as laws made by God control the movements of the planets, so the laws of natural law - from God - can guide us in the activities of our lives. We bring disaster upon ourselves if we try to ignore the natural law, and the Commandments, and we contribute to the destruction and decay of a whole society.

In the whole history of our salvation, a corner was turned when Abraham was called to leave his homeland and to follow where God led him. Later, Moses too was obedient, and received the Ten Commandments - all as preparation for the time when God Himself would come to earth to make people holy, and to offer His life in Sacrifice.

It is tragic that so many people have not been baptised. A family which is affectionate but which ignores or disbelieves in God, and has no respect for the Commandments, cannot be saved by qualities of optimism or human warmth - but only by the grace of Christ accepted. They need the prayers of the faithful, that they will open their eyes to the truth which they have never encountered, or have half-heard, and dismissed.

People who become proud that they have spent their lives perfecting human skills, but without attending to God, or virtue, or prayer, have little possibility of reaching Eternal Life, unless they turn to God in repentance and trust, and put Him first in their lives, and keep His Commandments.

Some parents are automatically banished to a care home. Some people neglect their elderly relations, and lead busy and joyful lives even though their old parents are hundreds of miles away in poor accommodation, with little care and no luxuries. The Fourth Commandment is about honouring our father and mother, which means, no matter how old or frail they become.

It is only too easy to avoid doing God's Will. There are some Christians who neglect the Fourth Commandment about honouring father and mother. It's as if a woman complains that if granny comes to live with them, they won't be able to continue with their dinner parties - and the children will grumble about having to behave at meals.

The Lord sees all the injustice on the earth, including the refusal to allow women to step outside their homes, the unjust imprisonment of those who campaign for free speech, and the cruel persecution of Christians, and the destruction of their churches. The world would be a better place if everyone kept the Ten Commandments.