After the first three commandments prescribing man's `duties toward God come seven others laying down man's obligations toward himself and his fellowmen. There is first a special commandment regarding the important duties of children toward their parents, and of parents toward their children.
This is the fourth of the ten commandments. In a general way, the others are concerned with actions (5, 6, 7), and words (8), and desires (9, 10).
It is important to remember that the commandments imply much more than they expressly command. For example, the fourth commandment explicitly prescribes only honor for one's parents, but under this heading are included love, obedience and service. Moreover, as the Church interprets it, this same commandment refers to the duties of all those in any position of subordination toward lawful superiors; it also imposes on those who rule others, particularly parents, the obligation to provide for the welfare of those in their charge. Similarly, the fifth commandment, though it explicitly forbids only killing, is to be extended to the prohibition of any unjust injury to the body, and even to the soul, whether of oneself or of other human beings. The sixth commandment is explicitly directed against adultery _ the gravest sin of impurity that can be committed by or against a married person. Yet, it really forbids every external act against the noble virtues of chastity and modesty.
Many persons in public office seem to forget that they are strictly bound to provide for the welfare of the citizens and to protect their rights; they are guilty of sin if they neglect to perform the duties demanded of them or if they exercise their authority for their own personal advantage rather than for the benefit of their fellow citizens. A public official must always remember that the authority he possesses comes to him from God and that he must employ that authority in the way that God wills. It is unfortunate that there are many public officials nowadays who, while they may be conscientious in their duties as private citizens and perhaps even faithful in their religious practices, frequently transgress the fourth commandment in their public life.
It should be our concern to regard the commandments of God, not as merely forbidding what is bad but also as commanding what is good. Of the commandments considered in this lesson, the one which demands the most effort for its observance and entails the most exalted holiness on the part of those who obey it perfectly is the sixth commandment. Nowadays there is much in the world that incites people to sins of impurity. We must be constantly on our guard lest we fall into this degrading sin. To mention only a few of the sources of danger to chastity in our own land, there are obscene motion pictures, magazines filled with lewd pictures, a great laxity in the matter of dress. Catholics should be mindful of the admonitions of recent Popes regarding these dangers. If Catholics follow those admonitions of the Church, and make use of the means at their disposal to gain spiritual strength _ particularly the frequent reception of Holy Communion, nourishing us with the immaculate flesh of Our Divine Savior _ they can avoid the dangers that surround them and practice perfectly the virtue of purity, known as the angelic virtue, because it makes us like the pure angels who surround the throne of God in heaven.
RESOLUTION: Resolve that you will carefully avoid anything that may endanger your purity, such as bad companions, dangerous reading, unchaste conversation, and suggestive motion pictures.