“the Church does not speak of an ‘informed conscience,’ it speaks rather of a ‘well-formed conscience.’”
The Mercy of God Is Endless
God is always calling us, always waiting to show us His mercy. All we have to do is respond.
Robert Robinson was an English clergyman who lived in the 18th century. He was a pastor, a gifted preacher, a poet and a writer of hymns. After many years he began to lose his faith. He left his pastorate and drifted around Europe before winding up in France, indulging in all the sinful behavior he had once preached against.
One night he was in carriage with a Parisian socialite who had recently converted to Christianity. She was reading some poetry and wanted Robinson’s opinion. She read, “Come thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace, Streams of mercy never failing, Call for hymns of loudest praise.”
When she looked to her companion for a response, she saw he was crying.
“What do I think of it?” he asked, his voice choking. “I wrote it. But now I have drifted so far away from Him that I cannot find my way back.”
The woman looked at him and said gently, “But don’t you see? You know the way back, you wrote about it right here, ‘Streams of mercy never ending.’ Those streams are flowing even here in Paris tonight.”
That night Robert Robinson recommitted his life to Christ.
That is the story of the parable of the two sons we read about in the Gospel according to Matthew.
A father had two sons. He went to the first son and asked him to go work in the vineyard. The son at first refused but then changed his mind and did as his father asked.
After the first son initially refuses, the father asks the second son to also go work in the vineyard. The second son agrees readily enough but never follows through with the task.
Both sons have lessons to teach.
God values a late conversion. He demonstrated this in the justice and mercy He showed to those who came to the harvest late.
God equally values the repentant sinner. The one who at first refuses Him, then changes his mind and goes to work in the field, is the one who does his father’s will. “I tell you in just the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7)
And the second son, the one who said “Yes, sir, ‘but did not go?” What can we learn from him? Are there ways in which we pay mere “lip service” to God? We promise to follow Him in all ways, but then convince ourselves we have done enough or let ourselves become busy with other things and have no time for God? Jesus told us, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
We see this behavior most prominently in our leadership. There are many politicians who claim to be devout Catholics but their actions are in direct opposition to the the teachings of God as conveyed to us through His Church. Sadly this is even true of some of the ministers responsible for the salvation of souls, clerics who publicly voice opinions that are contrary to the teachings of the Church.
Following Our Conscience
Much is made of the idea of following one’s conscience. This idea is used to justify all manner of behavior. “I can support abortion,” goes the claim, “because my informed conscience tells me it is the right thing to do.”
But the Church does not speak of an “informed conscience,” it speaks rather of a “well-formed conscience.” A well formed conscience is a conscience that is formed in the teachings of God and His Church.
An informed conscience speaks to our pride and vanity. It is all about what we, as individuals, judge to be right.
A well formed conscience speaks to our humility, a willingness to consider that our “informed conscience” may be wrong. A well formed conscience is steeped, not only in what the Church teaches, but also the reasoning behind the teaching.
In the Parable of the Two Sons, it is reasonable to imagine that the first son considered the necessity of doing his father’s will. The vineyard had to be worked after all, and his father would not have asked him if there was no need. He may not have been happy about it, but he realized it was the duty of a son to be obedient to his father.
We are called to do the will of our Father, to follow His teachings. We have ample resources to helps us better understand those teachings. To persist in our own self-informed willfulness, in defiance of those teachings, is to put our own understanding ahead of God’s. This is the behavior that led to man’s fall from grace.
In the book of Genesis, this poetic retelling of the Fall, the man and the woman are told not to eat of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. But:
“the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold: and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband who did eat.” Genesis 3:6
It was an informed conscience that disregarded the teachings of the Father, that led to man’s expulsion from the Divine Presence.
Our faith moves us to act in accordance with the Father’s will. It is words followed by actions that God values. Let us show our love for Him by showing the truth of our words in the deeds we do. Then we shall know His everlasting mercy.
Pax Vobiscum
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time