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'I've never stolen from anyone'
Most Catholics are relieved that the seventh commandment says “You shall not steal,” because they have never stolen anything from anyone, nor have they ever taken secretly anything that belonged to someone else.
And since they have never stolen anything from anyone, they are convinced that this commandment does not apply to them. When examining their conscience, they feel sure that they can proceed to the next commandment.
Obeying the commandment, however, involves much more than what first appears. As Catholics, God’s command not only indicates that you can’t rob a bank or take candy from a child, but it also upholds that the purpose of material goods is universal, that is, that everyone has a right to reach well-being. Together with the right to private property, every Catholic must respect every person’s right to own his own possessions and to respect the goodness of creation.
In other words, such a brief command not only involves respect for others’ property, but also demands that we practice justice and charity, reasonableness in how we protect the earth and how we live solidarity in society.
One violates the commandment by paying unjust wages, by speculation on the value of goods in order to gain an advantage to the detriment of others, according to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Church. We cannot forge checks or invoices; nor commit tax evasion or business fraud, nor can we willfully damage private or public property. The commandment forbids, in addition, “usury; corruption; the private abuse of common goods; work deliberately done poorly; and waste.” (Compendium 508) This commandment also calls for love and concern for the poor. It is a call to practice Christ’s explicit directive: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40)
The good work of charitable institutions like Catholic Charities is a good starting point to care for the poor, but every baptized Catholic has the vocation and mission to personally fight against material poverty.
Jesus never condemned wealth in itself, but he did indicate that it can lead to a desire to give too much importance about having possessions, and this desire can lead to damnation. Let’s not forget Jesus Christ’s warning: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mk 10:25)
St. John Chrysostom, who is a noteworthy father of the church during the fourth century, explained that this passage in the Gospel does not condemn the rich for being rich; but it warned against the temptation of frivolity and contempt for the poor.
The saint wrote: “Let us not try to decorate our houses, but rather, before the house, let us decorate our souls. Is it not shameful to cover our walls with marble for no purpose or reason and let Christ walk the streets naked? What good is your house to you, man? Are you going to take it with you? No, you will not take your house when you leave this world; what you can’t avoid taking with you is your soul… Let us build houses to live in, not for show. Anything more than what is necessary is superfluous and useless. Put on shoes that are too big for your feet. You won’t be able to tolerate it, because they restrict your movement. So, a possession larger than what is necessary restricts your movement to heaven.” As you can see, sisters and brothers, this commandment “You shall not steal” involves much more than what first appears.
During this time of Lent, when Jesus invites us to live penance, prayer and charity, and when Pope Benedict XVI this year invites us to be especially generous with the needy, we should examine our conscience. Let us be sure that we use our possessions for what is important, and especially to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged.
I entrust all the faithful of our archdiocese to the Lord Jesus, as we contemplate in the mysteries of his death, the infinite generosity of “our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich.” (2 Cor 8:9)
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