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, 85
Saint John Paul II (+2005) when considering the “moral good for the life of the Church and of the world” in chapter III reminds us it is “in a positive way, (that) the Church seeks, with great love, to help all the faithful to form a moral conscience which will make judgments and lead to decisions in accordance with the truth, following the exhortation of the Apostle Paul: ‘Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’ (Romans 12:2).”
The Holy Father began chapter III with two other passages from Sacred Scripture, “Lest the Cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17) and “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1). Together with the earlier passage from Romans 12:2 we see a great reliance on the inspired Word of God. In fact, by acknowledging the Commandments of God in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) in the Sermon on the Mount for what they are, namely divine revelation and more precisely the will of God revealed, we are standing on solid ground (cf. Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:47-49).
Not many of us like being told what to do. This is not only true of two year old toddlers, but even into old age. Yet Mother Church, like any good mother, cautions us not only to ‘look both ways’ before crossing the street or to keep our ‘hands away from a hot stove’, but to turn away from sin and to believe in the Gospel (cf. Matthew 3:2; Acts 3:19; James 5:20). Mother Church does not explicate the various sins to be “mean” but to keep us from the Evil One, who is the father of lies, the Devil, or Satan, and his lake of fire (cf. John 8:44; 17:15; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9; 20:14; 21:18).
Among the many deceits of this fallen world is the insistence that there is no such thing as sin. But Christ Jesus died (and rose) to save us from our sins (cf. Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 7:25; Zephaniah 3:17). God has revealed Himself and His holy will that we might live lives holy and pleasing in His sight, with hearts and minds renewed (cf. Romans 12:1; Colossians 1:22; 1 Timothy 2:3; Hebrews 13:21). With the help of Mother Church, God’s grace and revelation, we can be converted and become saints (cf. Ezekiel 18:23).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr