CONSCIENCE IN COMMUNION

 “Conscience is human’s s most secret core and the sanctuary” (GS16). In other words conscience is the inner voice coming from God. Therefore we are to listen and walk according to our inner voice in order that one day we may become like “Shining and guiding stars in the firmament of human history”. Therefore, the formation of conscience is extremely important in order to have a clear conscience that chooses what is good and avoids what is evil. Such a formation of conscience takes place always in the culture of a community which is fundamentally Trinitarian and Communitarian (Communion).   

However, often confusion arises in our minds regarding the moral conscience and superego. According to psychologists these are conflicts that occur within a person’s mind. Hence, we should be aware that they are not identical and can be distinguished in many ways: for an instance we know that the super ego commands us to act whereas conscience is a response to this invitation; superego is selfish while, conscience is an openness to others; superego is static and respects blindly to authority whereas conscience is dynamic and respects the values meaningfully; when superego focuses on the past, conscience capitalizes on the future.

Let us now look at the scriptural perspective about Jesus. Well, in the scriptures especially in the New Testament we know how in his pure human conscience lived among us. Well, likewise we know that Jesus’ words and works reveal that He lived as a man of communion and became a model for all generation and to all generations par excellence. There are many occasions in the Gospels where Jesus deals with moral issues of his times. For example “let anyone among you who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her.” Everybody went away and Jesus looked at the woman with mercy and forgave her sin but at the same time He warned her go in peace and sin no more. Through this account we can understand that it is a challenge for all of us, Christians, to imitate this perfect model of Jesus in our dealings with others. Jesus’ communion with the Father and with the human beings can be illustrated in the following manner:   

Abba Conscience – ‘children of your Father’ (V.45) - Faithfulness and Fidelity.

Messiah Conscience – ‘but I say to you’ (V.44) - Truthfulness and Identity.  

Pneuma Conscience – ‘love your enemies’ (V.44) – Fruitfulness and Liberty.

In order to adopt this conscience in communion, we have to focus in a special way, on three spheres of Christian existence: namely Person, Reason and Revelation.

Person: “A person means ‘facing towards’. Because, when a person faces others truthfully, freely and joyfully, s/he has the moral integrity and human dignity. Three fundamental areas of human relation are: God, Human Beings and Creation”. In communion with God one forms his/her conscience and deepens in union with God. Thus we come to know the truth, goodness and beauty of God in our communion with the other person. And this relationship will flow towards the neighbour and creation. These are interconnected. 

Reason:  All of us are endowed with the faculty of reason to know, love and live in truth, goodness and bliss. All of us are called into existence for this purpose for which everyone is designed and destined by God, the creator. A person is in virtue of human reason to have communion with community and communicate the truth, goodness and bliss to the members of the community. In communion with the end of the intention, there can be mortification on the morality of human action. Good intention alone is not enough, but action should be good as well. Therefore, there is no place for any means of good end. It simply means the means does not justify the end to act in proper conscience towards the neighbor.     

Revelation: Conscience formation is indeed revelation. Along with person and reason, revelation gives the specificity and identity of good a (Christian) conscience.  This revelation helps us to address the unique yet universal issues directly. Therefore for us Christians Revelation in Christ reveals the dignity and destiny of the person. In this revelation process faith has a pivotal role. For, faith fills the members with vivid imagination, solid motivation and candid orientation in life. Thus, the forming of one’s conscience has to be at home with all the tribes of one’s faith in the community proper. And so, this content of the revelation is at the very center of one’s culture, since faith is at the heart of the person. 

Conclusion: Communion with God is important because from this relationship one’s conscience is formed to enable one to recognize and to know the truth. Thus it helps a person to identify truth and goodness of others which facilitates us to have a healthier relationship with others and to live in union with nature. For this end, Jesus is the perfect model of this communion with God and human being. Thus, Jesus Christ himself extends and opens this towards his neighbor and the nature, resulting in a healthier relationship and a happy and holy life.    

Work is done by Sr. Deena John (BTh)  

Kochappilly, Paulachan, “Conscience in Communion”, Jeevadhara XXXIV, 204, 493-504.