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.” We then turned to Saint John Paul II’s encyclical letter Veritatis splendor (6 August, 1993) which addresses fundamental moral issues, including “conscience” more than one hundred times. These reflections were begun earlier (6 April, 2018-30 May, 2018). Here we now consider a passage from Veritatis splendor, 57.2.
Saint John Paul II (+2005) when considering the “judgment of conscience” in light of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans 2:14-15, highlights the role of “conscience” as a “witness,” whether or not we are faithful or unfaithful to the Law of God, whether or not our moral state is one of “rectitude or iniquity.” All of this, of course, is rather counter-cultural in a society that say the only sin is to say that there is such a thing as sin…
When considering conscience as witness, I think of the old Christmas song about Saint Nicholas, who sees you when you are sleeping and knows if you are awake, who knows if you have been bad or good… Santa gets his information from God! To answer Howard Baker’s famous question: God knew first, and knows all (deeds, omissions and desires included)… When we follow the rightly formed voice of conscience then we can add our own testimony as further witness to the holiness of God and His people. As unpleasant at it may sound to our “modern ears” each one of us will be judged according to our deeds (cf. Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; Revelation 20:12). The witness of conscience is here to help us to turn away from sin, to live Godly lives, to be prepared (cf. Matthew 5:6).
When considering conscience as faithful to the Law of God it is good to recall that our disregard of the Divine and Natural Law does not negate the truth of the Law of God (cf. Romans 3:3; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:13). God remains faithful even when we are unfaithful to God and the Law of God.
If by God’s grace and our cooperation we keep the Commandments, live the Beatitudes, we are able to have some semblance of a moral state of rectitude (cf. Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Matthew 5:3-12). It is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that establishes us in a right relationship (rectitude) with God, justified by His blood (cf. Romans 5:9). If, on the contrary, we spurn God’s grace, refuse His Commandments and the Beatitudes we will find ourselves in a moral state of iniquity or sin (cf. Romans 3:23).
How good for us that God, who is faithful and just, is willing to cleanse us from all our sins. Let us never make Him out to be a liar, bearing false witness, saying we have no sins, lest we sadly die in them (cf. John 8:21, 24; Romans 3:4; 1 John 1:10).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr