Conversion and Conscience
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; it 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.
One of the many gifts of Christ’s redemption is the grace of conversion. Interior conversion is something more than just sorrow for sins and an impulse to refrain from future sin; it is far more holistic than a radical reorientation of the will of God.
CCC 1431: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace.”
Conversion of heart is primarily a fruit of God’s grace; it is the first step to following Jesus. It is a good and necessary first step, but it is only the first. Because of our inclination to sin, the Christian life involves a constant, ongoing conversion. It is our response to the mercy and love of God. Since redemption is the supreme act of God’s love and mercy, conversion therefore is our response to the grace of redemption. Each of us must be aware of our own attitudes, habits, faults, and tendencies and work to overcome those that conflict with faith, hope, and love.
Conversion is a continuous journey of turning toward God, guided by a well-formed conscience, which is considered the "sanctuary" where God's voice echoes. Conscience is a "judgment of reason" that enables people to choose good over evil, rather than simply acting on personal feelings. A properly formed conscience is crucial to this process, requiring continuous education, prayer, and adherence to Church teachings.
Developing a good conscience is crucial to ongoing conversion. Our conscience is our moral center, our interior voice that guides us in discerning right from wrong. It must be well-formed through knowledge of the moral law contained in the Commandments and the teachings of the Church. With a sound conscience, we can exercise good and accurate moral judgment, which helps us avoid sin and act virtuously.
CCC 1797- 98: “For the man who has committed evil, the verdict of his conscience remains a pledge of conversion and of hope. 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. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience.”
The education of conscience, like the commitment to conversion, is a lifelong task. Regular attention to prayer, Scripture reading, the Sacraments, and good spiritual direction are tremendous aids in both endeavors. If our conscience isn't well-formed, we aren't well-equipped to determine right from wrong. All of us have the personal responsibility to align our consciences with the truth so that, when we are faced with the challenges of daily life, our consciences can help guide us well.
There are challenges that we may face every day in following our consciences. When we are bombarded with news, images, stories, and sound bites, it's easy to become numb to other people and the world around us. Our conscience requires us to be attentive. We must listen to God, who speaks to us. Having a well-formed conscience doesn't mean we have all the answers to the complex problems in the world, but it does mean that we are sensitive to the needs and struggles of other people.
In examination of conscience, we prayerfully examine our lives in light of the moral law in order to make ourselves aware of sins, our struggles, our temptations, and the ways in which we need to grow in virtue and become more like Christ. It is helpful to receive the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, remembering what Jesus promised his apostles before ascending into heaven: "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Be not afraid for God is with us always.
Deacon Gerry Flamm
“Dear children! Today I am looking at you and calling return to God because He is love and out of love has sent me to you to lead you on the way of conversion. Leave sin and evil, decide for holiness and joy will begin to reign; and you will be my extended hands in this lost world. I desire that you be prayer and hope to those who have not come to know the God of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
