Msgr. Pope on God’s Law as Personal, Loving, and Tender

"In Monday’s first reading (Monday of the First Week of Lent) there is a recitation of the law that features the refrain 'I am the Lord.' What does this expression mean and why is it appended to each command?

"When we think of God's law, there is a danger that we might think of it as we do of any secular law: as a sort of impersonal code written by nameless legislators or bureaucrats. We have not met them; we do not love, trust, or even know them. They are an abstraction we call 'the government,' or just 'they,' as in, 'They don’t let you park here,' or 'They'll arrest you for that.'

"If we have faith, God's Law is personal, for it is given by someone we do love, trust, and know. Further, we believe that He loves us and wants what is best for us.

"God's law is not the equivalent of a no-parking sign put up by some nameless, faceless government agency. Rather, it is a personal exhortation, an instruction and command given by someone we know and who knows and loves us."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how God's law is personal and on how we can only see and experience it this way if we come to know the Lord personally.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: God’s Law is Personal, Loving, and Tender (6 MAR 17)