What is Conscience? How Do I Form My Conscience?
“Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere ‘feeling’ about what we should or should not do. Rather, conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil. Conscience is a judgment of practical reason that helps us to recognize and seek what is good, and to reject what is evil (Our Catechism, no. 1778, 1796). Conscience does not simply “come to us.” Throughout our lives, we have to spend time forming our consciences so that we can make well-reasoned judgments about particular situations.
When examining any political or social issue or situation, we must begin 1) by being open to the truth and what is right. 2) We must study Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church. 3) We must examine the facts and background information about various choices. 4) We must prayerfully reflect to discern the will of God (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship). The Church does NOT support any one political party or candidate! That decision is our work…
Some quotes to ponder….
1776 Deep within our conscience we discover a law which we have not laid upon ourselves but which we must obey. Its voice, ever calling us to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in our heart at the right moment…For each of us has in our heart a law inscribed by God. Our conscience is our most secret core and sanctuary. There, each of us is alone with God whose voice echoes in our depths.
1778 Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that one is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all one says and does, the person is obliged to follow faithfully what (s)he knows to be just and right.
1784 The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.
“A decision of right conscience is a complex process; and although it is an individual process, it is far from an individualistic process. The Latin word conscientia literally means “knowledge together,” perhaps better rendered as “to know together.” It suggests what human experience universally demonstrates, that being liberated from the confining prison of one’s individual self into the broadening and challenging company of others is a surer way to come to right knowledge of the truth, including moral truth, and right practical judgment, including moral judgment, of what one ought to do or not do. This communal search for truth, conscience and morality builds a sure safeguard against both an isolating egoism and a personal relativism that negates all universal truth.” (“Following Faithfully,” America Magazine February 2, 2015 Issue).
To this end, we invite all our parishioners to join in a “Community Prayer Hour at Home” on the eve of our election, Monday, Nov. 7th. Everyone is invited to set aside the hour of 7:00 – 8:00 PM for one hour of quite reflection and prayer at home for this important election. A brochure will shortly be available that will help us to “unplug,” gather our family and lead this time of prayer. Our hope is that it will be a unique experience of practicing our “conscientia” if all of our 1800 households joined together in prayer at the same time.
No comments:
Post a Comment