Day 257: The Old Law

God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ. the Law of Moses expresses many truths naturally accessible to reason. These are stated and authenticated within the covenant of salvation. CCC 1961

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the Old Law, that is, the Law of Moses found in the Torah or the first five books of the Old Testament. The Old Law "moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments" (CCC 1962). It prefigured Christ and was a "preparation for the Gospel" (CCC 1964). 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes the place the Old Law has in the plan of salvation:

The Old Law permitted one to know many truths which are accessible to reason, showed what must or must not be done, and, above all, like a wise tutor, prepared and disposed one for conversion and for the acceptance of the Gospel. However, while being holy, spiritual, and good, the Old Law was still imperfect because, in itself, it did not give the strength and the grace of the Spirit for its observance. (#419)

The Catechism Companion, Vol III has some good commentary on this:

The limitation of the Old Covenant is that it highlighted what was good and what needed to be avoided, but it did not provide human beings the power to actually do that... Jesus gives the fullness of the law in the New Covenant. He did not come just to give us more laws but to give us new hearts. He came to give us the power to live out the call that he has placed upon our hearts. (p. 30)

Finally, this video from Ascension Presents with Fr. Mike Schmitz is recommended on this: