ERICKSON: Conscience in relation to the authentic Christian identity

St. Thomas More possessed a deep and profound conscience. His heart was so bound to Jesus, thus making him a true model of how an authentic Christian is supposed to act. He gave his life to the God that he served, and he provided a model for all of us. This formation of hearts is part of the conversion process, but the connection between conscience and identity shapes and leads us to our final judgment. Continued conversion always plays a key role, but as we grow closer to Jesus, we must ask ourselves how well-formed our conscience is in its contributions to shaping our identity. 

The topic of conscience was brought forth during the early days of the Francis papacy. It was and still is a hot topic, especially with the Maltese bishops. It is a topic not to ignore since certain events in our history have dulled our hearts. We live in a post-modern world that is plagued by many “-isms” that have dulled the human conscience: relativism, utilitarianism, hedonism, nihilism. These widely accepted beliefs have eclipsed the Catholic vision of a total and authentic human person.   

How can we respond to the authentic calling of being holy and becoming a perfect disciple? How can we evangelize if we are not intentional disciples embracing the whole and authentic human person? How can we help others in the conversion process if we have dim hearts?   

Disordered and dull hearts do not invite the total help and outpouring of the Holy Spirit to help transform the human conscience and the world; it limits us. We need Paraclete’s strong aid in this process. 
In describing the meaning of conscience, the great Servant of God, Father John Hardon, S.J., says that conscience is the “judgment of practical intellect deciding,” which is derived from faith, morals and reason. We can now act the way we should. Conscience is an act of the intellect, and furthermore, not of feelings nor even of the will. Within that conversion process comes the deepening of the conscience, making a better disciple of the human person, an identity that greatly pleases God. 

St. John Paul II wrote about the “Eclipse of Man” in his classic encyclical, the Gospel of Life (1995). He encouraged all of us to not allow our hearts to become more sullied and dulled. If we allow for deepening conversion by accepting much-dispensed grace, it is possible for us to have well-formed hearts that will transform us into most holy intentional disciples. This means we can also truly bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth! 

Thanks to the Holy Spirit, we have taken some great steps toward this. There are signs of hope abounding everywhere, but we need to seriously get busy. We need to take steps to form our consciences and receive the grace available to us, starting with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A sincere confession can help transform the heart and move him/her upward toward Christ. Grace is here to help build those hearts up; let the Holy Spirit work fully in us! The conversion process will then take a great leap forward. Cooperating with God’s grace will transform the world into the greater presence of the Kingdom of God. 

So, in the new days coming forth, we should follow the example of St. Thomas More and work to deepen our conscience to shape our identity. May the lights of hope illuminate more as we pray with renewed and deeper hearts for the transcendent human persons to transform the world. 

Carl Erickson is the director of Campus Ministry at the Galveston Newman Center.