Catechesis Notes for the Week — God Protects Life and Marriage—Under the Fifth and Sixth Commandments, God protects the gift and sanctity of life and marriage. In Labor Day’s reading, “Do Not Worry about Your Life,” faith in Christ and the contentment which comes through seeking His righteousness above all is the key to the work that God has given us to do. When Cain Murders His Brother Abel, we see the contrast between what faith in self produces – a man who hates his brother and kills him in jealous rage, and what faith in the Lord produces – a man who joyfully offers his work to the Lord in thanksgiving for God’s undeserved grace. The command to love one’s neighbor as oneself is demonstrated in the Parable of the Good Samaritan who, like our Lord Jesus, befriends and helps a fallen man who would have considered him an enemy. Joseph Flees from Adultery to protect the marriage of Potiphar rather than indulging the appetites of his flesh for another man’s wife. In Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil we see our Savior who fulfilled the Law for us by facing life’s temptations in our place with unwavering trust in God’s Word and the work that His Father had called Him to do. Jesus fulfilled the meaning of the Sermon on the Mount from Monday’s reading to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”CP220904