The human conscience

10 religious articles of mine can be found here in manuscript format: Please Click Here - https://mothermary.website/CatholicInspirationsManuscript.pdf

Acknowledgment of the movements of conscience in the human person comprised of body and soul, is evidence of God's existence and His Goodness, in which He is the Highest Good. It is God Who through the unchangeable dogmas of the Church that teaches us and dictates to us what is good and virtuous from what is evil and sinful in Whom we are completely dependent on for this distinction.

The law of grace was forfeited through Adam and Eve and was not restored until the coming of Christ through Mary. Written law during the time of Moses was given to help man as a remedy for human ignorance. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20) In addition to the law of nature God established the law of grace to restore what was lost. (Genesis 3:15) (The promised Mother of the Redeemer such that the serpent's head is crushed.)

Conscience has always been acted both in the law of nature and in the law of grace. The proper exercise of the human conscience is of utmost importance for the reason that how we use our conscience determines our love for God and neighbor and ultimately determines our eternity. Each person's God-given conscience in the soul of every man serves to moderate all the operations in our actions of word and deed and even in our innermost thoughts as well as the decisions that we make in this life. The conscience can be considered a moral compass that helps us determine good from bad. The word "conscience" is translated from the Greek term "suneidesis" and in Latin, the Greek word suneidesis is translated conscientia.

The word "conscientia" is formed by a combination of two syllables, namely, con and scio, which means knowing together, or knowing together with someone. (The Conscience according to Paul - Samuel Benyamin Hakh, D. Th)

Saint Thomas in The Summa says "I answer that, Properly speaking, conscience is not a power, but an act. This is evident both from the very name and from those things which in the common way of speaking are attributed to conscience. For conscience, according to the very nature of the word, implies the relation of knowledge to something: for conscience may be resolved into "cum alio scientia," i.e. knowledge applied to an individual case. But the application of knowledge to something is done by some act. Wherefore from this explanation of the name it is clear that conscience is an act."

Conscience is the judgment of reason concerning the lawfulness and unlawfulness of an act about to be performed (Catholic Dictionary Donald Addwater) Conscience is simply the knowledge we have of good and evil in relation to God - Who is the Divine Author of good - and the act or application of that knowledge - whether it be in accordance to God's laws and those of the Church or Civil authority - or not.

The primary faculties of the soul involved with man's conscience are his intellect in conjunction with his reason comprised as one power or faculty, applied from the memory in the imagination by means of his God given free–will. The intellect distinguishes truth from error and the reason distinguishes or makes distinct good from evil. The application of man’s conscience is manifested by means of his free–will primarily from the functions of intellect and reason conjointly operating as one power or faculty.

A human being is composition of both body and soul that will exist forever. We know we have a reasonable and immaterial soul for the reason that we can think and the soul subsists everywhere the body is. The brain is not the same thing as the mind. We can not see with our senses a thought in the mind but we certainly know that we can think and have thoughts.

For conscience is said to witness / testify, to bind or incite, and also to accuse, torment, or rebuke. And all these follow the application of knowledge or science to what we do: which application is made in three ways. (Summa)

1) When we examine our conscience we recognize that we have done or not done something. For example "Thy conscience knoweth that thou hast often spoken evil of others" (Eccles. 7:23) Here the conscience witnesses or testifies.
2) We act through our conscience when we judge that something should be done or not. In this way the conscience incites or binds.
3) We also judge that what we do was done well or ill done and in this sense our conscience excuses, accuses or torments us.

Conscience operates in conjunction with the innate natural law of God built into and written on man's hearts and minds. Natural law is found in the soul and is what man philosophically knows without the aid of theology, through his intellect and reason, what is contrary to his conscience and to God, unaided by what was Divinely revealed, understood and taught by Christ's Mystical Body, the Church.

In philosophy "synderesis" signifies the naturally innate principles in the moral consciousness of every man which directs him to good and restrains him from evil. It incites us to good, and to express dissatisfaction, displeasure and disapproval of evil. Natural law is universal and is given by God to every man at the age of reason.

Conscience is not only to moderate the operations of the powers of the soul but also to testify or witness our actions - conscience tells us we have done good or bad and it also tells us what good we need to do and what bad we need to avoid. Conscience "is a certain pronouncement of the mind" (Summa)

One way God speaks to us is through man's conscience which accuses him of transgressions contrary to what his reason informs him as what is "good", which is to experience guilt for having offended or displeased God, the Highest Good, or to have a certain hope of joy in God’s contentment in our virtue by acting in accordance with our conscience. Efforts to please God through virtuous acts, increases peace, tranquility of order, particularly spiritual order within our souls, given to men of good will.

The ability to apply one's conscience through free–will is founded in the fact that it was conformed to pre–existing and unchangeable truths originating in God long before any human person was ever created. "For I am the Lord, and I change not..." (Malachias Chapter 3:6) "Every best gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change nor shadow of alteration." (James 1:17)

Our conscience should be correctly informed by firmly believing, professing and adhering to with our intellect through acts of our "will", the Apostle's Creed and all that pertains to the Holy Catholic and Universal Faith – moved by the grace of Our Lord – given to us through the Blessed Virgin Mary. We can not know good from bad by ourselves - we can only know good from bad through the unchangeable dogmas of the Church - through its constant, universal and consistent teaching authority throughout the centuries.

Saint Augustine teaches us to the effect that adhering to an error or heresy unknowingly is not culpable of heresy or sin. We should - especially these days be open to being corrected since we have almost lost the teaching authority of the Church in its current public body and always adhere to what the Church has always taught.

From the very first moment - when we reach the age of "reason" - and our conscience still possesses innocence - we can distinguish good from bad, and our conscience at that moment is executed or acted out for the very first time. It is so very important during those early years when our conscience is developing - that we make sure it is informed correctly. We must not allow our conscience to be desensitized, dulled and defiled.

We offend God and sin when we violate our conscience at the moment of the age of reason when the conscience is sufficiently informed and sensitized with the ability to distinguish good from evil and with the knowledge of a transgression against the moral laws of God, through the natural law written and infused on man’s hearts and minds. We are culpable for every offense against God and neighbor - every act against our conscience - after the very first transgression against ones conscience and God.

It is possible and most unfortunate for man to allow his conscience to be so dulled, desensitized and defiled to the point that such a soul is no better than a beast acting on instinct. And even worse for a soul to allow its conscience to be so misinformed that what was once good to that soul has now become evil and what was once evil to that soul has become good. "Now the Spirit manifestly saith that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy Chapter 4:1)

An act we commit could be in accordance to our conscience but contrary to the laws of God, His Church or Civil authority. Such a case has consequences by ecclesiastical or civil authority but in the eyes of God, no sin was committed due to such a soul finding his conscience to be misinformed - and under the condition that such a soul could not possibly overcome vincible ignorance due to their circumstances. On the other hand, there is no excuse for not overcoming any vincible ignorance through study and prayer.

On the other hand we could inform our conscience so that it is good, purified, strengthened and sensitive to sin, the laws of God and His Church or legitimate Civil authority - actually commit a sin that in the eyes of the world or civil authority is not a sin but our conscience tells us better and we must do what it takes to rid ourselves of falling into this sin or vice even if the whole world thinks such an act has no consequences and is not a sin. For an act to actually be a sin, the soul must know it is a sin, must have free-will, and the act itself is a sin in the eyes of the Church and legitimate Civil authority.

When the conscience is constantly renewed, with a clear conscience, people are able to accurately assess the actions they wish to do as opposed to that of a beast who only acts on instinct. With each exercise of our will through our conscience and little acts of offerings of love to God, we strengthen both our will united to the One Supreme WILL of God and our conscience to better know, love and serve God.

Again, God "talks" to us through our conscience which is an act of the soul that tells us to distinguish good from evil. We must do all we can to serve God according to our knowledge of the faith and the dictates of our conscience out of love for God. We must study our Faith thoroughly, pray for guidance and enlightenment and try to live it the best we can to please God.

Also we must not act against our conscience - I think we act by using our will - and we use our conscience as a moral compass to distinguish what is good from what is evil - and by studying the Faith - we strengthen our conscience - and I think that grace moves our will to not act against our conscience and to perform virtue instead of vice.

I think that and it only makes sense that the powers or faculties of the soul - namely - the will, reason, intellect, memory and imagination should always work through the conscience which is an act - the application or operation of these powers of the soul.

When we act against our God-given conscience built into and innate to our soul, we sin and transgress against the laws of God, His Church or civil authority - and we feel bad - we feel that guilt of sin.

For those of us who have had the misfortune of a misinformed conscience throughout the years - especially during the last part of the 1900s - it is vital that we re-educate - so to speak - our conscience.

To overcome a troubled conscience we should tell God we are sorry for our sins and receive the Sacrament of Confession / Penance as soon as we can and rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and His great Mercy. We should also study the truths and dogmas of good Catechisms and apply them in our daily life.

God as our Father helps us by the voice of our conscience and the teaching authority of the Church through its Catechisms. We sin when we act against our conscience even if it is misinformed as to what we are responsible for. We are really guilty for several things - when we allow our conscience to be weakened and misinformed - and only God knows to what degree we are guilty of not overcoming vincible ignorance.

It is good to examine our conscience daily and especially before we approach Christ in the Sacrament of confession/penance or at least through a perfect act of contrition for having offended God - we examine our conscience to see where we have failed God - how we have sinned and offended God so that we can firmly resolve with the help of His grace through Mother Mary to sin no more and practice virtue - in preparation for meeting the infinitely Almighty and Eternal God at death.

"...For we trust we have a good conscience, being willing to behave ourselves well in all things." (Hebrews 13:18) We do our best to have a good conscience and follow sincerely our soul in its knowledge of the faith and conscience - and that which is unknown or doubtful to us we leave in God's hands - for Almighty God - Who can do all things already and knows all things already - looks at our effort and our dependence on Him for all things. "For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high." (Job Chapter 16:20)

We should never judge the inner dispositions of another soul. For one thing we do not know what we would do if we were in their circumstances and only God is the final judge and knows perfectly the inner dispositions and innermost thoughts of his creatures. Our Lord told us “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1) This does not mean to not judge by use of our counsel what is good from what is bad and what is truthful from what is false and deceit. We must judge actions and beliefs contrary to Christ and His Holy Church as evil – without judging motivations, intentions and inner dispositions of persons – for we are all sinners. Otherwise, the error of tolerance to all things including evil is accepted and even considered as
good.

Through prudence we bear patiently the conscience of others - even if it does not match ours - and their circumstances - never judging their inner dispositions - but always objectively judging good from bad as is dictated by God through the Church - remembering that "For he that is not against you is for you." (Mark 9:39) "And herein do I endeavor to have always a conscience without offence, towards God and towards men." (Acts 24:16)

For example a Catholic who observes the tradition of making a sacrifice on Friday- "by reason of the religious observance of the day" (2 Machabees 6:11) - not eating meat - can bind themselves to this law in their conscience and rightly do so - One who knows nothing of these traditions and laws has not sinned.

If the dogmas of the Faith are forgotten and rejected with each generation in the last century then the consciences of men can not be correctly informed. (1 Timothy 1:19) - Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made shipwreck concerning the faith."

Our knowledge of the Faith and efforts to continually learn more about the Faith through the dogmas of the Catholic Religion found in good Catechisms - strengthen our conscience. We can learn from the lives of the Saints - from their consciences while on earth - and imitate their virtue - the Blessed Mother possessing all virtue to the highest degree as well as learn from and imitate the meekness and patience of Saint Joseph. The more we use our Conscience properly and strengthen it the more our souls resemble the image and likeness of God. The human conscience should always be used as a good tool is used and sharpened to grow closer to God and love our neighbor as self.

In the spirit of conscience so to speak - by the inward motions of divine love, and the peace of a pure and clear conscience, which the children of God experience, they have a kind of testimony of God's favour; by which they are much strengthened in their hope of their justification and salvation; but yet not so as to pretend to an absolute assurance: which is not usually granted in this mortal life: during which we are taught to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). And that he that thinketh himself to stand, must take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12)" (Catholic Douay-Rheims Version Bible commentary)

"Now the end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith." (1 Timothy 1:5) "For our glory is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity of heart and sincerity of God, and not in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God, we have conversed in this world: and more abundantly towards you." (2 Corinthians 1:12)

One should always strive for the "mean of virtue", avoiding both error in excess and error in defect. Examination of conscience that finds guilt or sin where there is no guilt or sin is a sick and unhealthy scrupulous one. Following a well informed and balanced conscience - purity of conscience - conformed to God and His Church along with being penitent and having contrition for all transgressions contrary to one's conscience and therefore contrary to God and His Church, is to manifest one's love for God.

We will be judged individually at the particular judgement at our death, according to the degree of effort we correctly informed and strengthened our conscience, to our knowledge and understanding of the Universal and Catholic Faith, and to the degree of effort we made to attain this knowledge and understanding of the Faith available to us, and the level of effort we made to practice and live out our Faith in virtue, how well we fulfilled our duties in our state in life, and according to our spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and to the degree of cooperation we made with all the graces, both actual and sanctifying, that God bestowed upon us.