Lenten Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 2 Chapter 6: On the Joy of Good Conscience

“Have a good conscience and you will always be happy.”

Today, we hear some of the best advice yet, “To be happy, we need a good conscience.”  So what is a good conscience?  Some sat that your conscience is that nagging voice in the back of your mind trying to convince you to do good. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the conscience is that “interior voice … within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed.”  It is that voice that when you pick good over evil becomes quiet and gives you peace.  But when you are struggling with good and evil, it is that voice shouting at you at the top of its lungs trying to lead you “the good”.  We are only really happy when we have done well and selected good.  Evil people may appear happy but in reality they are never really happy because they have lots of conflict and turmoil in their lives.  They are never satisfied and the soul is restless.  “There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 48:22)  However, “those who love God will glorify in tribulation.”  This is because they can find joy and comfort in knowing that Christ, through his suffering on the cross, has already burdened their load. While we may experience some joy and happiness in doing evil things, this glory is short lived and generally followed by sadness.  Those who truly seek everlasting happiness avoid making bad choices and seek the good in all.  A person whose conscience is clear will have peace and contentment in their lives.  These people do not seek praise from others or get upset when someone blames them.  Thomas a Kempis says, “You are no better for being praised, nor worse for being blamed, for you are what you are, nor will you be more nor less than God sees you to be.”  He is telling us that the opinions of others do not matter; it is only what God thinks of us that counts.  “We see only the face, but God sees into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).  All we can see is the actions of others, but God knows our intentions.  You are always called to “do the best you can and to make little of yourself” because these are the traits of a humble person.  It is in our humility that we fight off the gravest of all sins – Pride.  It is in our humility that we will bow to the desires of God.  St. Paul tells us “For it is not the one who commands himself who is really approved, but the one whom the Lord commands” (2 Corinthians 10:18).  To have a truly interior life, we must live “intimately with God” and not be “bound by any outward attachment.” We can only find rest in God.  St Augustine tells us that we will not find rest until we rest in the arms of our Lord.

A Simple Prayer

 

Father in heaven:

You gave me a conscience so I could chose you and not evil.

Help me to strengthen my conscience so I can make good choices.

Give me the wisdom and to no when something is wrong and

The fortitude to always choose good so that I may rest in your arms.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

PS – Today is Holy Thursday.  This is the beginning of the Triduum; the holiest three days in the Church Calendar.  Take time to enjoin the church during this period of the Passion of Christ.  It is through the Passion of Christ that the gates of heaven were reopened for us in spite of our sinfulness.  These are the same gates which are found through an interior life.