Pray the Rosary for Our Country
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As Christians, we are called upon to participate in the life of our secular society, to influence it and infuse it with our Christian principles whenever possible, particularly in the election process; for, if we truly believe that Jesus is God, that He is King of the Universe, wouldn’t it follow that we would want to follow His teachings in all that we say and do? To do so, we must have a well-formed conscience that is formed in accord with the teachings of Jesus and the Church that He established. Over the next several weeks, I’d like to go over what it means to have a well-formed conscience and how it impacts our decision-making. (All emphasis in the following quotes are mine.) The USCCB website tells us that:
“God creates us with a capacity to know and love him, and we have a natural desire to seek the truth about him. Fortunately, we don't search for God unaided; indeed, he calls us to himself and writes his law on our hearts to help us draw closer to him. Conscience helps us hear the voice of God; it helps us recognize the truth about God and the truth about how we ought to live. Conscience is "a judgment of reason" by which we determine whether an action is right or wrong. Jesus told the apostles, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). We deepen our relationship with God by following him, and in doing so, we become more fully ourselves. Have you ever made a decision that turned out badly, but if you had had more information beforehand, you would have made a better decision? Sometimes, we may have the best of intentions to do good, but choose an action that is, in itself, wrong. The most basic principle of the Christian moral life is the awareness that every person bears the dignity of being made in the image of God. He has given us an immortal soul and through the gifts of intelligence and reason enables us to understand the order of things established in his creation. God has also given us a free will to seek and love what is true, good, and beautiful. Sadly, because of the Fall, we also suffer the impact of Original Sin, which darkens our minds, weakens our wills, and inclines us to sin. Baptism delivers us from Original Sin but not from its effects—especially the inclination to sin, concupiscence. Within us, then, is both the powerful surge toward the good because we are made in the image of God, and the darker impulses toward evil because of the effects of Original Sin.”
With this idea of concupiscence in mind then, we can understand a bit better how it is that Catholics are so divided on moral issues concerning life, death and sexuality. This darkening of the intellect, this inclination to follow our own will rather than God’s has sewn confusion and division among the ranks of Catholics in particular and Christians in general. A couple of years ago, I referenced an article in our bulletin by Catholic author, Jay Boyd, about forming a Catholic conscience. I think it bears repeating:
“A general comment made by those who have taken issue with Church teaching concerns their belief that they have a "right" to form and follow their own conscience. They use this paragraph from the Catechism of the Catholic Church to support this belief: 1782. Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters." But there are many other paragraphs that define what a well-formed conscience is; paragraph 1782 merely defends a person's right to be wrong. In other words, yes, "free will" allows you to follow your conscience; however, if your conscience is erroneously formed, you have simply exercised your right to make a mistake. Consider the very next paragraph in the Catechism: 1783. Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings. (Emphasis added.)
More on this next week …
—Fr. Epperson
Spiritual Sustenance During the Age of COVID
While it is true that the obligation to attend Mass during this time of pandemic has been abrogated, this does not mean that you shouldn’t have the spiritual sustenance that only the Mass can give you! If you are elderly, have underlying health conditions or are just too nervous about coming to our outdoor Masses, please follow the Mass on our YouTube Channel or watch EWTN and have access to their beautiful Masses. Stay “plugged in” to the Lord and His Holy Sacrifice! This will get you through these trying times.
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