Beautiful weather outside. The sun shines. Would you like to play football or go cycling. At the same time, many responsibilities await you today. You were given a lot of homework to do and your mother told you to clean the apartment. What will you choose ? You'll get out of the house and take advantage of the weather, will you get down to fulfilling your duties? You have to choose. You have to decide on something.
On other occasions, you dealt with tasks quickly and watch an interesting TV movie. Then you hear Mom's voice : „For 15 shops close in minutes. We're out of sugar. Go and buy a kilo " ! You want to answer : "Mom, do you have to interrupt me at the most interesting moment ? You could go to the store alone ". But you have reflected. You can't hurt your mom. She is already tired of her numerous duties. So what do you do ? What will you choose ? Your life is full of similar situations. You still have to choose. Maybe you think sometimes : as if it were okay, if man had the ability to make a good and easy choice. Is there such an ability in a person ?
Conscience
There is such a capacity within us, which makes it easier for us to make a good choice between two or more things. Thanks to it, we distinguish good from bad. What is this ability ? What is it characterized by ?
Respecting someone else's health, someone else's property, complaisance, duty, etc.. we still think it is something good, even then, when it is connected with the necessity to overcome oneself, giving up self-interest. But such deeds, like stealing, anger, slander, We always consider disrespect and kindness to other people to be a bad thing, even if they give some satisfaction and pleasure for the time being.
This ability not only teaches us to know right from wrong, but, moreover, it inspires us to do good things internally, and the neglect of evil. When we see, that someone needs our help, we feel internally, that we should give it to him. On the contrary, when we hurt our parents by our conduct or speech, educators or colleagues, we feel internally, that it must be abandoned, that you must not go on like this.
And finally, this ability becomes our own judge. If we choose this, which we internally judged to be good or better than something else, we feel satisfied, calm, and even proud, although no one from the outside praises us for this choice, nor does it reward. And vice versa, if we neglect matters, which we internally deem good or better than others, or choose bad deeds, we feel anxious, embittered. Sometimes we condemn ourselves. We would love to wipe out some of our lives.
People called this valuable ability conscience. Conscience, then, is a special ability, which allows us to distinguish between good and bad deeds. It stimulates us to do good, and it prevents you from doing evil. Finally, he is our own judge. He rewards us with peace and inner joy, when we choose and do good, and it worries reproaches, when we do something wrong.
People commonly consider conscience to be of great value. Therefore, when they want to praise a man for his actions, they call him conscientious. On the other hand, about a man, who has committed many crimes or caused many wrongs, they say, that she is without conscience.
Many films deal with the matter of human conscience, plays or literary works. It has been written about it in world literature since the earliest times. It was particularly acute in the international trials of war criminals. The question of conscience concerns all people. For conscience is the basis of man's moral life and his moral evaluation. Having a conscience and being guided by it distinguishes man essentially from the world of animals.
The obligation to shape conscience
Even the best skier, footballer, singer, writer, artist or craftsman, with the moment, when I stop training, exercise, hone your abilities, loses its efficiency, which he won. The same is true of ability, which we call conscience. He does not form a conscience like this should, who chooses evil more than good, who does not listen to the conscience and ignores its voice. It can thus completely drown them out. Hence we meet in the world and such people, who consider it good, which is commonly considered a bad thing. Such people choose actions more often “bad than good and become almost completely deaf to remorse.
Willing to protect our conscience from distortion, they must be constantly developed and shaped.
We develop our conscience, when we discover moral principles, getting to know the world and its order better and better, e.g.. the rights of the human person, the right to live in a healthy way with people in the community, etc.. Getting to know these and similar moral laws and their basis - the natural law, man discovers the law created by God and at the same time innate to every human being. This law applies to all people, for that is what the Creator of man intended. God teaches us about it in 15 Sunday during the year (year C) : "Command this, which I give you today, it is not beyond your abilities and is not beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, one could say : «Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us?, and we will listen and fulfill them ». And it's not over the sea, so that you can say : «Who will go overseas for us and bring it to us?, and we will listen and fulfill them ». For this word is very close to you : in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fill them " (Pwt 30, 11-14).
So conscience, although a person does not even know about it or does not think about it at the moment, connects man with the Creator. Conscience becomes a guide in our daily conduct. If we follow his indications, thus, we improve and develop them. Natural law applies to all people. A Christian, however, can get to know them better, to understand and fulfill through the light, which is contained in the Decalogue revealed by God Himself. The Christian receives even more light thanks to Christ. Supported by the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, which the Gospel shows, A Christian can better know and evaluate good and bad. As a baptized person, he should be aware, that he is united with Christ. He is, after all, a "new creation". So he has not only the ability to develop his conscience, but he has the power of Christ in him, which constantly strengthens him in shaping his conscience. The Holy Spirit himself resides in the baptized and confirmed person, Spirit of wisdom and love. He gives the Christian the strength to listen to the voice of conscience and to direct everything to God. The teachings of the Church are an external and direct signpost for a Christian. However, we must not forget, that revealed science does not provide solutions to all specific moral questions. The Church's Magisterium also does not have ready-made answers to all moral difficulties. Hence members of the Church, even more than other people, they should take care of the constant development of their conscience. To this end, they should learn more and more about the Gospel and the whole of Revelation, to make your own decision in a specific case. At the same time, the Christian must work on himself, to control yourself, practice in good conduct, that his conscience may always be alert and correct.
Finally, you have to remember, that proper development of conscience depends on the environment, in which man lives. Family and immediate surroundings can shape conscience well, but they can also distort them. The mass media can have a huge impact on shaping conscience, like the press, film and fashion. Thus, a mature Christian will be alert to different opinions and to different ones ,,patterns of behavior ". Continuing to act in accordance with your conscience improves it, and conduct contrary to it can numb and distort conscience.
How will I answer God ?
I have to choose between good and evil every day. But I do, that I am free to choose. My conscience is my guidepost.
I will ask myself before God : How I develop and shape my conscience ? How often in my examination of conscience I evaluate my behavior in the light of the Decalogue, and above all in the light of Christ's Gospel ? How often do I follow my conscience, and how often I contradict him ? How do I act in doubt ? Do I then seek advice from my parents, catechists, my confessor ?
“With all my heart, I am looking for You ; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
I keep your speech in my heart, so as not to sin against you. Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your laws! […]
I am glad in the way of your admonitions as in all the riches.
I will meditate on your decisions and consider your paths.
I will rejoice in your statutes: I will not forget your words "
(Ps 118, 10-16).
■ Think :
1. What tasks in a person's life does the ability, which we call conscience ?
2. What facts confirm, that people universally consider conscience to be of great value ?
3. What happens to conscience, which is not constantly developed and educated ?
4. Who gives us light in shaping our conscience ?
5. What is the best way to improve your conscience ?
■ Remember :
32. What is conscience ?
Conscience is an ability, which allows us to distinguish between good and bad deeds, it moves us to do good, and he prevents us from doing evil and is our judge.
33. What obligations does man have towards his own conscience ?
Man should listen to the voice of his conscience and mold it like this, that it correctly judges good and bad.
■ Task :
Remember a movie or novel, which speak of conscience.
