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LESSON 3

Conscience: ’s Law in Our Hearts BACKGROUND READING

In our we make choices that either lead abuse of the God-given gift of our . The us on the path toward or the path of Catechism tells us that “freedom is a force for and death in . To choose implies growth and maturity in and goodness; freedom of the will. In order for our choices it attains its when directed toward between and to mean something — for God, our beatitude” (CCC 1731). them to be moral choices — we must be free in Since God created us, He knows what is our choice. Free will is a gift from God Himself good for us. We find our ultimate and is a faculty or ability of the soul. It is one of growing in holiness to become closer to Him. the ways in which we are made in the image and We find true freedom growing in truth and likeness of God. The Catechism of the Catholic goodness because that ultimately fulfills our Church defines freedom as “the power, rooted , making us freer to be who we are in and will, to act or not to act, to do this meant to be. Choosing sin leads us into slavery, or that, and so to perform deliberate actions the slavery of losing control to our passions, on one’s own responsibility” (CCC 1731). God addictions, and . We become less respects our dignity by allowing us to be in than what we were created to be. The more control of our actions and responsible for our one does what is good, the freer one becomes. choices. To first start this process of choosing what is good requires . But then we find that true The Freedom to Choose freedom is not to do whatever we desire, but rather it is freedom for growth in holiness and Today’s culture defines freedom as being able goodness in relationship with our God. to do whatever we feel like doing whenever we want. We often hear people defending their actions (even though they frequently are : God’s Voice Within immoral) by declaring that they are “free” to do God knows that choosing the good is not always as they wish. As parents we all have experienced, easy for us. He knows that we are attracted to at one time or another, our children saying (or sin and that the right choices are not always at least implying) “you can’t make me do that!” clear. So, to help us, God wrote His law within But this attitude toward freedom is actually an the heart of every single human person. This

266 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS gift of His law is called a conscience. Our we have committed throughout the conscience guides us in making judgments day). or choices that lead us to the good. When we ӹӹ Praying for and developing the Gifts of choose the good our conscience confirms that the Holy Spirit we received in Baptism we are acting according to God’s will. When we and Confirmation. choose evil, then our conscience tells us that ӹӹ Seeking the advice of holy, virtuous we were wrong. people we respect. Our conscience, however, doesn’t work like ӹӹ Always allowing our understanding to . It doesn’t tell us the difference between be guided by the teaching authority of right or wrong with no effort on our part. In the Church. fact, it is possible to leave our conscience After we have learned God’s ways, then we undeveloped, like it is sleeping, and it is even must put into practice what we have learned. possible to form a bad conscience. That is why it This process is how is formed in our lives, is our moral obligation to form our and these enable us to make better and according to the truth. better choices. Making good moral choices takes lots of Other rules that help us to discern if an training and study. After all, just because a baby action is moral or immoral are: comes into this world with legs, doesn’t mean ӹӹ You may never do evil so that good may that she can walk. A baby needs to first learn come about (the end does not justify to stand, then to walk, then to run. So it is with the means). our conscience. We must spend time, study, ӹӹ You should always follow the Golden and pray continuously in order to rightly form Rule (do unto others what you would our conscience. Indeed, the formation of our have them do unto you). conscience is a lifelong job. ӹӹ You must always be guided by and respect for your neighbor and his The Moral Formation conscience (cf. CCC 1789). of Conscience Whenever we are certain that what our What are the helps that God has given us in order conscience is telling us is the right and just thing that we might rightly form our conscience? to do, we must act according to its dictates. They are the “signs along the way” that we are Human persons must always be free to choose studying this year. In the Psalms we pray, “Your in accordance with their conscience. To force a word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” person to act contrary to his or her conscience (Psalm 119:105). In the Word of God we find the violates the dignity that belongs to everyone Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, as well as made in the image and likeness of God. the teachings of the Apostles. We must accept We must not squander the gifts God has God’s Word in faith, and then respond with a given us. Our grateful response to the law He of prayer – talking with and listening to God. has written in our hearts is to live lives that Good habits or rules for developing a moral listen for His voice. We can give God back the conscience are: gift of our complete in His Word because ӹӹ Examining our conscience daily we know that Christ will always call us to Life (reflecting on the good and bad actions in Himself.

LIFE IN CHRIST, ESSAY APPENDIX 267 LESSON 4

We Must Avoid Sin and Grow in Holiness

BACKGROUND READING

Even with all the signs along the way that of God. It is a rejection of God and His love, help us choose the path of life, we can still and a choice for love of self. The traditional take a wrong turn. Because of our attachment teaching of the Church distinguishes between to sin due to our wounded (the two types of : mortal sin and venial sin. consequence of ) we live in a When we sin mortally we lose the constant struggle between life and death. life that is necessary for us to Sanctifying grace is literally God’s very life live in Heaven. That is why we call mortal sins in our soul. Sin destroys that life and leads to “mortal.” Like how a mortal wound leads to the death of the soul. But God in His mercy the death of the body, a mortal sin leads to gives us countless opportunities to turn back the death of the soul. When we sin mortally, onto the path of life if we have a contrite heart. we must seek conversion of heart through Mercy in its fullness was shown to us in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. the sacrificial Death and Resurrection of A good confession not only brings about Christ. Jesus came into the world to forgive forgiveness of our sin, but it also restores the sinners. The Gabriel affirmed this when life of sanctifying grace, the gift of divine life, He said to Joseph: “You shall call his name to our souls. Jesus, for he will save his people from their In order for a sin to be mortal, the sins” (Matthew 1:21). In order to receive God’s following three conditions must be met: mercy, we must know that we are sinners and ӹӹ The sin must be of grave or serious in need of His loving forgiveness. Thus, any matter. Grave matter is those study of the moral life must include a study sins that are specified by the Ten of sin. Commandments, and some sins are graver than others. What Is Sin? ӹӹ The sin must be committed with full The Catechism defines sin as “an utterance, a . This means that the person deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.” sinning must know that what he or she Sin always sets our wills against the eternal is doing is wrong and violates God’s law.

268 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS ӹӹ The sin must be committed with journey toward holiness, the Church gives complete . This means that us five precepts or laws that act as starting the sin must be a deliberate and points to show us the very minimum required personal choice. Passions, external to develop our spiritual lives and grow in love pressures, and pathological disorders of God and of neighbor. can lessen the voluntary nature of The five precepts of the Church are: the act and therefore lessen or even ӹӹ We must attend Mass on Sundays and eliminate the for Holy Days of Obligation. the sin. ӹӹ We must confess our sins to a priest Venial sin is all sin in which one or more at least once a year. of the conditions for mortal sin are not met. ӹӹ We must receive Our Lord Jesus But even though venial sin does not destroy Christ in the Holy Eucharist at least God’s life within us, that does not mean that once a year during the Easter season. venial sins should be easily brushed off. Venial ӹӹ We must observe the days of sins weaken our charity and get in the way abstinence and fasting. (The Church of our doing good and forming moral habits; calls us to abstain from meat on Ash therefore, they make it easier for us to commit Wednesday, all Fridays during Lent, mortal sin. and Good Friday, and to fast on Ash It is important for us to know that we Wednesday and Good Friday.) cannot sin by accident or by mistake, and that ӹӹ We must contribute to the support of temptation itself is not sin. Even Jesus was the Church. tempted to do wrong, but He never sinned. The Five Precepts of the Church are a When temptation enters our minds, we must basic framework of what is required for Life turn to God in prayer and ask Him for the in Christ. If we follow these five precepts, then grace to do the right thing. we participate in the life of the Church that will help us on our journey toward holiness. The Precepts of the Church These precepts are the barest minimum, God’s mercy is unlimited, and we can throw however. We should try to receive the ourselves on His mercy in the pursuit of the Sacraments, most notably the Eucharist and moral life. No matter how much we stumble Penance and Reconciliation, as often as we and trip up, our sins can be forgiven in the can in order to ask God for His mercy and Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation the strength to avoid sin. and we can start afresh in God’s grace. In our

LIFE IN CHRIST, ESSAY APPENDIX 269