Before the coming of Our Lord the Israelites, or God’s chosen people, had three kinds of laws.  They had the civil laws for the government of their nation—­just as we have our laws for the people of the United States.  They had their ceremonial laws for their services in the temple—­as we have our ceremonies for the Church.  They had their moral laws—­such as the Commandments—­teaching them what they must do to save their souls.  Their civil laws were done away with when they ceased to be a nation having a government of their own.  Their ceremonial laws were done away with when Our Lord came and established His Church; because their ceremonies were only the figures of ours.  Their moral laws remained, and Our Lord explained them and made them more perfect.  Therefore we keep the Commandments and moral laws as they were always kept by man.  Fifty days after the Israelites left Egypt they came to the foot of Mount Sinai. (Ex. 19).  Here God commanded Moses to come up into the mountain, and in the midst of fire and smoke, thunder and lightning, God spoke to him and delivered into his hands the Ten Commandments written on two tablets of stone.

Every day while the Israelites were traveling in the desert God sent them manna—­a miraculous food that fell every morning.  It was white, and looked something like fine rice.  It had any taste they wished it to have.  For instance, if they wished it to taste like fruit, it did taste so to them; but its usual taste was like that of flour and honey. (Ex. 16).

I said there is no difference between the Ten Commandments of God and the six commandments of the Church; and there is no difference as far as the sin of violating them is concerned.  But they differ in this:  the Church can change the commandments it made itself, while it cannot change those that God Himself gave directly.

311 Q. Which are the Commandments that contain the whole law of God?  A. The Commandments which contain the whole law of God are these two:  first, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, with thy whole strength, and with thy whole mind; second, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

“As thyself”—­that is, as explained elsewhere, with the same kind, though not necessarily with the same degree, of love.  First we must love ourselves and do what is essential for our own salvation, because without our cooperation others cannot save us, though they may help us by their prayers and good works.  Next to ourselves nature demands that we love those who are related to us in the order of parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, etc., and help them in proportion to their needs, and before helping strangers who are in no greater distress.

312 Q. Why do these two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the whole law of God?  A. These two Commandments of the love of God and of our neighbor contain the whole law of God because all the other Commandments are given either to help us to keep these two, or to direct us how to shun what is opposed to them.