My dear parishioners,
Peace! In other bulletins (4 December, 2016-11 June, 2017) we have considered the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on “conscience.” Now we turn to Saint John Paul II’s encyclical letter Veritatis splendor (6 August, 1993) which addresses fundamental moral issues, including “conscience.” Here we consider a second passage from Veritatis splendor, 16.
Saint John Paul II (+2005) sort of builds his encyclical letter Veritatis splendor (The Splendor of Truth) around a question posed by a wealthy young man found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew 19:16. “What good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” The Lord Jesus begins His response with the Commandments of God: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). Monks and Nun, Religious Brothers and Sisters have seen in this passage an “evangelical counsel” to their holy vow of poverty. Not all of us are called to give up all our possessions, some are. All of us are called to reject sin and Satan and the glamour of evil. Following the Commandments of God is a first step, a beginning step, which actually requires God’s grace, His power, His divine assistance.
Saint John Paul II was struck by the wealthy young man’s response to the Lord Jesus: “I have kept all these; what do I still lack” (Matthew 19:20)? Which one of us can say “with a clear conscience ‘I have kept all’” the Commandments? To say the least, it is not an easy thing to honestly say. The young wealthy man in the Gospel, to his credit kept all the commandments yet still knew he was lacking. A well formed conscience understands “the real meaning of the demands contained in God’s Law.” A well formed conscience directs our deeds and our desires to conform to God’s holy will, given through Moses on Mount Sinai (cf. Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and the Lord Himself in His Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:3-10; Luke 6:20-26). May we never be lacking in cooperation with God’s grace or call to holiness.
There is not a “gnostic trick” to knowing or understanding the Commandments of God. The ancient (second century) heresy (false teaching) of gnosticism besides being dualistic (one deity made the matter of the universe, another the spiritual, matter is evil, spirit is good), also claimed to have “secret knowledge.” While distinctions can be made between various sorts of crimes against the 8th Commandment, not to bear false witness (e.g. calumny, slander, detraction, gossip…), these do not detract from the plain sense of the commandment. The same is true of all the other Commandments. Keeping the Commandments of God is not an impossible “moral ideal.” While requiring serious effort and a generous spirit, as well as God’s grace, the Commandments may and should be kept as part of following Christ, to answering His call to holiness.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr