The Seventh Commandment and True Fasting

Recently at a middle school youth group, I volunteered to give a talk about the topic of the Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15 NAB).

It’s pretty simple and straightforward right? Just four simple words. Well, after I looked over a summary about the commandment to help me give the talk, I realized that there were two levels or two contexts within these four words. First, there is the surface level, which is the straightforward part of the commandment.

Surface Level:  It is wrong to rob people. You should not take something that does not belong to you.

I gave a couple of silly examples to try to put this context in a situation that these teens could relate to. One example was this: Say a friend has the latest videogame system. You enjoy it a lot and get addicted to playing it. You may consider taking it home and keeping it for yourself. However, you are not the one that paid for this gaming system, so it is not yours to take. Not only that, but stealing it may cause the friend to stop trusting you and ruin the friendship you have.

After further examination, I realized that there was another example that could relate more to working class adults: It is wrong to take a farmer’s crop/ cattle just as it is wrong to steal something from a store. Doing so would be taking away something that the farmer/ store owner needs to make money. In essence, you are stealing part of someone’s livelihood and probably make it harder for them to provide for their families, their employees, and themselves.

Then there is this second context, a deeper level to the meaning of the commandment against stealing. I did not fully comprehend this level until after I was given this summary which helped me formulate my talk.

Deeper Level: We live in a world where majority of the population does not have a necessity to live (access to food, clean water, warmth, sturdy shelter, etc.) while a minority have way more than they need to live. Hoarding these goods and keeping them away from the poor and needy is in essence stealing from them.

Those that are politically minded may find this context communist or socialist in nature, but those of us that call ourselves Catholics and Christians are called to practice what we preach. We preach that the Bible holds truth right? Then let us listen to what it has to say.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19, a rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus replies that he needs to keep the commandments (including the commandment against stealing). The young man replies that he already does so. Then Jesus says “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me” (Mt 19: 21 NAB). This Sunday’s First Reading at Mass is from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. Chapter 58 of this book is labeled True Fasting (in the New American Bible) and the section of this chapter we hear at Mass calls for those fasting to begin “Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them and not turning your back on your own (Isaiah 58: 7 NAB).

Back to the deeper level of the seventh commandment. The example I gave to the youth was  pretty much taken from experiences I had in Helena. I would often walk over to Hardee’s or the grocery store to get a lunch and get on the Internet. On the street corner or at the grocery store parking lot, I’d often see people sitting at the side of the road asking for spare change and help. I had food back at the Reach house that I wasn’t planning on eating that day, but after seeing these people, I decided that the food I was buying would help them out more than it would help me. I would walk over to them, ask their names, introduce myself, and ask if they had had anything to eat yet. After they told me that they had yet to eat anything, I would give them my bag of food, wish them well (and add them to my prayer intentions), and make my way back to the Reach house.

I’m not saying it to brag. Really, I often end up stealing without realizing it. What I mean is, whenever the collection basket is passed during Sunday Mass I end up putting a dollar or two in. Then, within the next day, I end up spending $5 on myself. I’m not giving all I have, I’m not sharing my extra with those that are less fortunate as much as I can.

One of the blessings about doing Reach Youth Ministry is that I've realized how much I am blessed. My teammates and I joke that we are poor because our monthly stipend ends up being a little over $100 (which seems small in the U.S., but I bet would get me plenty of food and supplies in other countries). That does not factor in, however, that due to our fundraising and through the generosity of many people in the community that we have a warm house to sleep in. We have a functioning vehicle and money to pay for gas. We can purchase enough food to have three meals a day, plus snacks. The stipend is just extra, to go have fun around town or see a movie or have a greasy burger or whatever. I enjoy having a stipend, but I know that it is not a necessity for my survival. All of my basic necessities are paid for, everything else is luxury. I see people around the community that do not have proper food or proper housing. Am I sharing my extra to try to help them get by? Not often. Do I feel guilty about not sharing? Yes, deep down I do. And that is why I think innately I know that not helping the poor and needy when I have the chance is stealing from them.

The Light: There is something else that happens when we choose to help the poor and give to the needy. Remember how Isaiah 58: 7 talks about ways to help those in need? In verse 8 of Isaiah Chapter 58, it says “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed”. When we end up being selfless and giving to others, God begins to work on our wounds and heal us. That selflessness and that giving is in itself a method of healing because it brings us closer to God and shines the light of Jesus Christ for others to see. A powerful quote from St. Catherine of Siena is “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”. That is because, if we became all we were meant to be, our spiritual light would be as blinding as the sun and ignite the fire of Christ’s love inside others. That is why Jesus Christ told the people “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden…Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Mt. 5: 14, 16 NAB).