• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Sunday, March 26, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Bishop Douglas Deshotel

Living the New Life: Morality and the Ten Commandments

Friday, June 21, 2013

By Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel
Special to The Texas Catholic

As we reflected on earlier, in baptism we are re-created, re-born into a new life as children of God.  We are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and heirs to the everlasting life he won for us by his suffering, death and resurrection. The goal of our lives as Christians is to become ever more like Jesus Christ, our model of what it means to be a child of God.

The new life we receive calls us to put into action in our everyday lives this new reality. Making our way of life correspond to who we are as children of God is the subject of morality. We are created in the image and likeness of God, given the powers of reason and free will. We have the ability to choose. We can love God in a way in which no other creature of God can; we can choose to do good and avoid evil. God has made known to us his will through revelation—the sacred scriptures—and through his son Jesus Christ, who calls Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills the will of the father in heaven and calls us to imitate him.  “Learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart.”  The Ten Commandments teach us in very practical ways how to reflect in our daily lives, the new lives we have as children of God and followers of the Lord Jesus.  If we look at the subject of the Ten Commandments, we see that the first three have to do with our relationship to God the Father.  He is the one true God. His name is to be held reverently and that we are to worship and adore him as creator of all things.

The remaining seven commandments point out how we relate to our neighbor—our brothers and sisters in the family of God.  We are to honor our parents and family, respect the rights of our neighbor to a good name and to property, and respect the sacredness of human sexuality.  Day by day, we strive to live who we are as children of God. The Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and the life of our Lord Jesus Christ are the blueprints for living our vocation as Christians. I will begin reflecting on each of the commandments and how we live them as followers of Jesus.

The Most Rev. J. Douglas Deshotel is an auxiliary bishop, vicar general and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Dallas.

  • Tags
  • Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel
  • Ten Commandments
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article Challenge of faith and finding one’s vocation
Previous article Pray to "Our Father", forgive others, pope says

Related Posts

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life Columnists
Friday, March 10, 2023

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one Columnists
Thursday, March 9, 2023

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth Columnists
Friday, March 3, 2023

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.