Day 272: You Shall Worship the Lord Your God

"The first commandment embraces faith, hope, and charity. When we say 'God', we confess a constant, unchangeable being, always the same, faithful and just, without any evil. It follows that we must necessarily accept his words and have complete faith in him and acknowledge his authority. He is almighty, merciful, and infinitely beneficent. Who could not place all hope in him? Who could not love him when contemplating the treasures of goodness and love he has poured out on us? Hence the formula God employs in the Scripture at the beginning and end of his commandments: 'I am the LORD.'" CCC 2086

In today's reading, the Catechism explores the First Commandment and its significance for Christians. The All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and All-Loving God has revealed Himself to us, and we are therefore obliged to respond to the love He gives us through faith (1 Jn 4:19), hope (Heb 10:23), and charity (Matt 25:40). 

The Catechism Compendium summarizes what is implied in the affirmation of God: “I am the Lord your God” (Ex 20:2):

This means that the faithful must guard and activate the three theological virtues and must avoid sins that are opposed to them. Faith believes in God and rejects everything that is opposed to it, such as deliberate doubt, unbelief, heresy, apostasy, and schism. Hope trustingly awaits the blessed vision of God and his help, while avoiding despair and presumption. Charity loves God above all things and therefore repudiates indifference, ingratitude, lukewarmness, sloth or spiritual indolence, and that hatred of God which is born of pride. (#442)

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

God set his people free, rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. This is the context he gives us for obedience to him. God does not require our worship and sacrifice because he needs it, but because he knows that our hearts are broken and we can make idols out of everything - idols that enslave us. He wants us to be free, so he brings us into relationship with him where we are to have no other gods...God's prerogative is to forbid sins and command us to love him - because he loves us and he knows this will give us the most life. (p. 60)