Love the Lord with all your Heart
A republished reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
The Jews of Jesus' time had the practice of wearing certain Scripture texts in a little box on their arms and on their foreheads. They got the idea from several passages in the Law, in particular Deut. 6:4-8, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one. Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead."
In pictures of the Jewish people when they pray, for example at the Wailing Wall, or in the Temple, they often are seen wearing little black boxes either on their forehead or arm/wrist. This is a time-honored tradition in their Faith. If you have ever heard the term "Shema Israel" - it refers to their Creed, "the Lord is one. This basic truth of one God who is Lord of Israel set the People of the Old Covenant apart from the unbelieving "nations" or Gentiles." The singing or chanting of the "Shema Israel" deeply moves me, because I come from a strong Judeo-Christian background.
This command of the Lord is equally valid today! In the Liturgy of the Hours, prayed by ordained clergy, religious and certain lay people (usually members of Lay Institutes, such as the Secular Franciscan Order, the Dominican Third Order, Carmelite/Discalced Carmelite Lay component, Lay Augustinians, etc., as well as other lay people who see a value in using this method of prayer; the wording of the passage quoted above, is contained in these prayers. We are always children of God, when we follow Him and do what He commands. So we are the children who should be so instructed, along with our little children!
People who love the Lord, without reservations, without exceptions, are the kind of people who have a strong self-discipline, because that is what we need to have in order to maintain self-control over our senses, over our emotions, and especially over those who steer us toward evil. One needs self-control in order to fight a spiritual warfare to overcome evil and seek out what is good! Where do we learn self-control and discipline? Well, certainly from the Holy Spirit (Third Person of the Holy Trinity), when we ask for these qualities through prayer, and, our parents, that is, if they are devoted parents, also teach their children the difference between right and wrong.
Unfortunately, in this Century, particularly in the last 20-30 years, the world has gotten the idea that if we banish the tablets and images of the Ten Commandments, people will forget all about God and the difference between good and evil will no longer matter. WRONG! If we have self-discipline and we love the Lord, this will not happen to us. The Ten Commandments are a part of the law of Moses, because it was Moses who went up to Mt. Sinai, where God gave him these tablets. And Moses became the teacher, the Rabbi, the Messenger of God - he passed the Tablets on to the people. And even then they were being disputed. However, for 2000+ years these laws have been upheld. Did you know that our forefathers founded this nation on the principles of the Ten Commandments?
At the top of the Supreme Court building, you will find the image of Moses, supporting the two Tablets with the Ten Commandments. And, in various Chambers of said Court, are wooden images of the Tablets. I hope by the time I ever get to Washington, D.C., these are still there.
The Ten Commandments are:
- I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not kill.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
- You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
May the Lord bless you and keep you!
Fred S. Schaeffer, OFS
December 19, 2011 Republished November 12, 2025
(Partly from EWTN Library)