The ninth The ninth commandment: commandment:

you shall not you shall not covet your covet your

neighbour's wifeneighbour's wife

5353

ANGELICO, FraAnnunciation

1430sPanel, 195 x 158 cm

S. Maria delle Grazie, S. Giovanni Valdarno

Compendium of the Catechism 527. What is required by the ninth

commandment? 2514-2516

2528-2530 The ninth commandment requires

that one overcome carnal concupiscence in thought and in desire. The struggle against such concupiscence entails purifying the heart and practicing the virtue of temperance.

528. What is forbidden by the ninth commandment? 2517-2519

2531-2532 The ninth commandment forbids

cultivating thoughts and desires connected to actions forbidden by the sixth commandment.

Introduction The disorder caused by original

sin brings with it a selfish claim for sexual pleasure that ignores the order established by God. Holy purity is a virtue acquired by means of God’s grace and personal struggle.

To keep our hearts pure it is necessary to rid them decisively of impure thoughts and desires. As our Lord said: “Blessed are the pure in heart,

because they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8)

Encouraged by this assurance, though aware that it can be hard to keep our hearts pure, we know that purity is a wonderful gift.

REMBRANDT (1606-1669)David and Uriah

Oil on canvas, 166550 x 46 inches (127 x 117 cm)

Hermitage, St Petersburg

Main ideasMain ideas

1. Concupiscence

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God they not only sinned but also opened the gates of sin: concupiscence is the inclination to sin which remains even in a baptized person.

Saint John wrote about a triple concupiscence: the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life

(cfr. 1 John 2:16)

Concupiscence in itself is not a sin, but it inclines man to sin.

PATENIER, JoaquínTemptation of St Anthonyc. 1515Oil on panel, 155 x 173 cmMuseo del Prado, Madrid

2. Purification of the heart

To combat the tickling of our passions, we have to look for the root of sin. And the root of sin is in the heart.

Jesus warns his disciples : “From the heart come evil

intentions: murder, adultery, fornication…” (Matthew 15:19)

Therefore, the fight against concupiscence begins with the purification of the heart, because God wants us to be pure and chaste first and foremost in our hearts.

UNKNOWN MASTER, FlemishThe Offering of the Heart

c. 1410Tapestry

Musée de Cluny, Paris

3. Fighting against temptations

Temptations against chastity are not sinful in themselves, but only incitements to sin. They are sinful if the will indulges them.

They should not surprise us and, without getting obsessed, we have to pray to be strong to reject temptations promptly.

If when confronted with temptations we are able to say that we did our best to keep them away, then there is no reason to lose our peace and joy.

CRANACH, Lucas the ElderSamson's Fight with the Lion1520-25PanelKunstsammlungen, Weimar

4. Decorum and modesty

Decorum forms part of the virtue of temperance and is a safeguard of purity.

It is related to the virtue of modesty, which governs gestures and body movements; it also helps us keep silent when speaking would only satisfy morbid curiosity.

Decorum protects personal intimacy and helps us behave with gentleness and sensitivity.

BOUGUEREAU, William (1825-1905)Modestie [Modesty]Oil on canvas, 1902

63 1/8 x 28 1/2 inches (160.5 x 72.5 cm)Private collection

5. A campaign for purity

Christians must struggle to cleanse the morally polluted environment of today’s permissive society.

Christians, all the more, have to make every effort so that the means of entertainment are clean and do not offend God.

The effort to promote chastity and purity means helping men and women to be more human and to purify and elevate social mores.

UNKNOWN MASTER, FrenchCrusaders12th centuryMuralChapel of the Templars, Cressac

6. How to improve in chastity

We can obtain and improve interior chastity with prayer. We ought always to pray for purity, with rectitude of intention, seeking to do the will of God in everything.

In order to resist indulging in impure thoughts, we have to guard our imagination and eyes, and the other senses as well.

EL GRECO (1541-1614)The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception and St John

Oil on canvas, 158593 1/4 x 46 3/8 inches (237 x 118 cm)

Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo

Resolutions for Resolutions for Christian lifeChristian life

Resolutions to move forward

Promptly dispel impure thoughts, using the proper natural and supernatural means.

Think about what could be done in my family and social surroundings to promote a morally pure environment.

Practise decorum and modesty.