The first and most important commandment of God
Dear readers!
We continue our journey along spiritual paths, where every turn reveals something deeper, truer, and eternal. Today we have before us the first and most important commandment of God. It resounds both solemnly and gentle like the voice of a loving Father:
“I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before Me!” (Exodus 20:2-3)
This is not merely a law. It is an invitation – an invitation to a deep, living, personal encounter with God. It is His knock on our hearts, His desire to be not just the Creator somewhere up there, but our closest Friend, Father, Savior, and only Treasure.
“The Lord God reveals Himself as the One who loves man and desires his salvation... In the first commandment, the Lord reveals His Name and His nature so that man may learn to trust Him completely" (Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, ‘Christ is our Passover,’ 840)
I invite you to open this holy word not only with your mind, but with all your heart – and to find the source of life, peace, and true freedom.
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT OF GOD: “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD.
YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME!”
Why should we worship God?
1. God is our Creator and Sustainer
We are obliged to honor and love God first and foremost because He created us. He is the beginning of all existence. “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). St. Irenaeus of Lyons writes: “The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is to see God.”
Every cell in our body, every breath we take, is a gift of His love. Without Him, we would not exist, we would not be able to see, think, or love.
2. God is the source of our salvation
We must give honor to God because He redeemed us – not with gold or silver, but with the precious Blood of His Only Begotten Son (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-19). Christ died and rose again for us, opening the way to eternal life. St. Gregory of Nazianzus says: “God became man so that man might become God.“
”Redemption is the work of the Holy Trinity: God the Father sends His Son to free man from the bondage of sin. The Son of God, becoming man, voluntarily offers Himself as a sacrifice...” (Catechism ‘Christ Our Passover,’ 130).
3. God is the highest Perfection
God is the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. “No one is good except God alone” (Mk 10:18). We are called to honor Him not only out of duty, but also because His holiness and His love are incomparable. St. Augustine wrote: “Our heart is restless until it rests in You.”
“Worship is man's response to God's revelation and an expression of faith in the One who is the source of life and eternity” (Catechism, “Christ Our Passover,” 844).
How should we honor God?
1. Internally: faith, hope, and love
Faith is a response to God's truth; hope is trust in His promises; love is unity with Him in everything. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart...” (Mt. 22:37). St. Basil the Great teaches: “Knowing God is the life of the soul; not having God in your heart is death.”
“Christian faith is not only knowledge about God, but above all a personal relationship with Him, an expression of love for Him” (Catechism “Christ is our Passover,” 40).
2. Externally: prayer, Liturgy, Sacraments
We show our reverence for God in prayer, through participation in the Holy Liturgy, in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist, and in worship of the Holy Mysteries. “Let us come, let us worship and bow down before Christ,” we sing at the beginning of every service. Worship is our act of recognition: You are God, and we are Your children.
“The Church, in her liturgical life, recognizes and glorifies God as the only Lord... therefore, the Liturgy is the highest act of worship” (Catechism “Christ is our Passover,” 845).
St. John Chrysostom encourages us: “Do you not see that His love for you is greater than the love of parents for their children? So do not forget Him, but keep Him in your heart always.”
What does “you shall have no other gods before me” mean?
It is a prohibition of idolatry. An idol is not just a statue. An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. It can be wealth, power, the body, technology, or even our own “self.”
“Idolatry is a sin when a person puts some creature or thing in the place of God...” (Catechism, “Christ Our Passover,” 846).
St. Paul warns: “Greed is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). When a person puts something else before God, they fall into the sin of idolatry, even if they are not aware of it.
Superstition is another form of idolatry
Dreams, talismans, horoscopes, fortune-telling, “energies,” witchcraft, “cosmic forces” – these are all manifestations of superstitious beliefs that contradict the Gospel. “Do not turn to sorcerers... I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:31).
“Superstition, divination, spiritism, occult practices are forms of turning away from faith in God. A Christian must avoid any participation in such practices” (Catechism ‘Christ is our Passover,’ 848).
St. Cyprian of Carthage says: “He who seeks advice from the devil turns away from God.” Therefore, any recourse to the occult is a sin against faith and a violation of God's first commandment.
Conclusion
The first commandment is an invitation to a deep friendship with God. It teaches us that without God, our lives lose meaning, direction, and eternal purpose. Let us ask ourselves: Is God truly the center of my life? Or has someone else taken His place?
St. John Cassian emphasized: “Pure prayer is possible only when the soul has rid itself of all idols.” So let us purify our hearts of everything that separates us from God and put Him back in first place.
“Worshiping the one God means recognizing His absolute dominion in my life, trusting Him, serving Him in everything” (Catechism ‘Christ is our Passover,’ 843).
ABOUT THE VENERATION OF SAINTS
Some people ask: if only God is worthy of worship, why does the Church honor the saints? It is important to understand that veneration of the saints is not worship, which belongs only to God, but rather honor for God's action in people who responded to His love with the holiness of their lives.
Who are the saints?
They are those who lived according to God's commandments, served their neighbors with love, and, having died in God's grace, now dwell in God's glory. They are our friends in heaven who intercede for us in prayer, help us grow in faith, and support us in our struggles.
“Saints are those who faithfully followed Christ... The Church proclaims the saints blessed in order to show us the way to sanctification” (Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, ‘Christ is our Passover,’ §811, 887-889).
Why do we venerate the saints?
1. Because God Himself glorified them – through their lives, virtues, and sometimes miracles.
2. Because they show us an example of how, with God's help, we can live a holy life in everyday circumstances.
3. Because they are our good friends and benefactors who sincerely desire our salvation and help us in prayer.
“The veneration of the saints does not obscure the unique mediation of Christ, but rather reveals its power, for the saints are members of Christ” (CCC §956; Christ Our Passover §887).
Can we pray to the saints?
Yes, because we turn to them with requests for intercession, just as we ask for prayers from our friends on earth. The saints, already in God's glory, are closer to God, and the Church teaches that their prayers have great power.
“When the faithful pray to the saints, this expresses the communion of saints, the unity of the heavenly and earthly Church” (Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Christ Our Passover, §889).
Our Ukrainian saints are a special heritage
Saints from our people, such as St. Vladimir the Great, Saints Cyril and Methodius, St. Josaphat, Blessed Martyr Omelyan Kovch, and the new martyrs of the 20th century, are shining examples of holiness among the Ukrainian people, who have become a sign of God's presence in the history of Ukraine.
“The cult of our saints supports and sanctifies Christian love for the homeland” (Words of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, ‘On the Veneration of Saints’).
To follow the saints is to walk the path of holiness
The saints were ordinary people – they had difficulties, sufferings, and temptations. But with God's grace, they triumphed. Their lives are the living Gospel, an example for everyone: for children and parents, for monks and lay people, for scholars and ordinary people.
“Holiness is not an exception, but a calling for everyone. The Lord wants everyone to be holy” (cf. Christ is our Passover, §881-883).
Those who love God above all else are:
- do not seek substitutes for God's love in the idols of the modern world;
- place all their hope in the Lord;
- lovingly follow the example of His saints;
- live in a constant desire for unity with Him through prayer, the sacraments, and the observance of the commandments.
“Belief in the one God includes the recognition that only He is to be worshipped. The veneration of the saints does not diminish God's glory, but is a manifestation of His action in human history” (cf. Christ Our Passover, §888).
ABOUT THE VENERATION OF HOLY ANGELS
Like saints, God's angels are our spiritual friends, guardians, and benefactors. The Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church teaches:
“Angels are spiritual beings created by God who, remaining faithful to Him, serve His will and accompany man in his earthly pilgrimage“ (”Christ is our Passover,” §91).
1. The existence of angels
Holy angels are invisible, immortal spirits created by God before the creation of the world, endowed with reason and will. The Catechism explains:
“God created angels as personal, incorporeal spirits who freely serve Him” (“Christ Our Passover,” §90).
Their number is immense:
“Thousands upon thousands served Him, and countless multitudes stood before Him“ (Dan. 7:10);
”...and their number was countless multitudes and thousands upon thousands” (Rev. 5:11).
St. John of Damascus teaches:
“An angel is a rational, free, incorporeal being, always in motion, who serves God and is sent to help us at His command” (On the Orthodox Faith, II,3).
The Holy Fathers speak of nine angelic orders: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels (cf. St. Gregory the Great, “Homiliae in Evangelia”).
However, not all angels remained faithful to God. Some, rebelling against their Creator out of pride, were cast down and became demons:
“...the angels who did not keep their dignity but abandoned their dwelling place, He bound forever in darkness with chains” (Jude 1:6).
2. The task of the holy angels
The task of angels is to glorify God, carry out His will, and serve man:
“Angels, though invisible, are real messengers of God, His servants, who bring people the news of salvation and accompany them” (“Christ Our Passover,” §91).
Isaiah saw the Seraphim singing:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).
The psalmist exclaims:
“Praise Him, all His angels!” (Psalm 148:2).
In Scripture, angels appear as God's messengers. They preach to Abraham, Moses, Zechariah, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph. An angel announces Christmas to the shepherds and appears at Christ's Resurrection and Ascension.
St. Basil the Great writes:
“Every believer has an angel as a teacher and shepherd who guides his life” (On the Holy Spirit, 16:39).
Guardian angels deserve special attention. They protect a person from birth to death.
“For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways“ (Ps. 91:11).
”Their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 18:10).
The Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church explains:
“God gives each person a guardian angel, who is a sign of God's closeness and guidance“ (”Christ is our Passover,” §92).
3. Our attitude toward angels
We must be grateful to our guardian angels and honor them through prayer, trust, and imitation in faithfulness to God. St. Bernard of Clairvaux exhorts:
“Respect his presence, love his devotion, trust his care, live piously so as not to sadden your companion” (Sermon on the Guardian Angel).
Prayer to the guardian angel is not only a pious tradition, but a manifestation of our faith in God's care. The Catechism teaches:
“Christians place their hope in the help of angels, especially in difficult moments of life, in temptations, and at the hour of death” (Christ is Our Passover, §92).
4. Testimony from life
Once, a missionary in the Philippines was called three times by an unknown voice at night to a dying man. Although the villagers did not know about the sick man, he did not lose heart. On the third time, taking a different route, he came across a lonely hut where he found a terminally ill man who said joyfully: “Every day for 50 years, I prayed to my guardian angel for a happy death. I knew you would come."
Such testimonies reveal the living presence of God's angels in our lives.
Prayer to the guardian angel
Angel of God, my guardian,
Stay at my side always!
Morning, evening, day, and night –
Be there to help me!