As Catholics, we remember that the first commandment states, “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have any gods before me.” When asked what was the greatest commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ, repeating the precept found in Deuteronomy, … Continued
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As Catholics, we remember that the first commandment states, “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have any gods before me.” When asked what was the greatest commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ, repeating the precept found in Deuteronomy, said, “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all of your strength” (Matthew 22:37). While God can choose to reveal the future to His prophets or saints, we as individuals must always have trust in His divine providence. St. Paul reminds us, “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His decree” (Romans 8:28). While we may have that passing curiosity of what will happen in the future, we anchor our lives in the Lord, trusting in His love and care.
To try to discover the future through palm reading, tarot cards, or some other form of fortunetelling, or to try to control the future through black magic, witchcraft, or sorcery violates the first commandment. Sacred Scripture has many condemnations of these activities: In the Old Testament we find, “You shall not let a sorceress live” (Exodus 22:17), “Whoever sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord alone, shall be doomed” (Exodus 22:19), “A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortuneteller shall be put to death by stoning: they have no one but themselves to blame for their death” (Leviticus 20:27), and “Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortuneteller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the Lord…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).