Pope
Francis has just given us a guide to conscience titled “The Joy of
Love.”
Are
we open to the joy of love? Do we love Jesus enough to change our
life?
The
Gospel according to John highlights a post-resurrection experience.
 |
| Caravaggio's Crucifixion of Peter |
At
the Galilee shore, Jesus tells the disciples, who had been fishing
all night and caught nothing, to cast their nets again. Lo and
behold, they make a huge catch. Peter -- who recently denied Jesus
three times! -- is now ready to follow Jesus. Jesus asks Peter: Do
you love me enough to change your life? To trust me completely? To
commit yourself totally? And three times Peter answers: Yes, Lord. Jesus
says: Then show me by your actions.
Who
was Peter? Peter, or Simon, had a fishing business. He left the
business to become a disciple of Jesus, formed an inner circle, proclaimed
Jesus as the Messiah, denied him, witnessed His resurrection, became
the leader or rock among the disciples, worked signs and wonders,
evangelized throughout the eastern Mediterranean and eventually was
martyred in Rome. Two New Testament letters are attributed to Peter.
Peter
appears spontaneous but always ready to admit a mistake, to make
amends. In the end, Peter is someone you could trust, a man of
character. The true measure of character is what you do when nobody's watching.
Within
all of us there is a tension to choose our better or our worse
selves. Catholic Christianity calls this "the fall from grace." Something is not quite right with us.
Conscience--an informed conscience--is our "moral compass, so to speak. But what is conscience? It is
closely associated with our feelings -- we sometimes feel guilty about things we do or don't do--
yet conscience is more. Conscience is a power of judgment: an almost instinctive judgment
about the goodness or badness of our behavior and attitudes. Our
conscience is a friendly guide in our quest for fulfillment as
authentic human beings.
Leo
Tolstoy, the Russian philosopher, noted there is only one important
question in life: “What shall we do and how shall we live?”
Peter
the disciple would answer: by being men and women of moral character.
Now
there’s a difference between personality and character.
Our
personality on the surface puts us in an emotional category:
cheerful, moody, etc. Character, by contrast, is singular and
defines who we are, at the core of our inmost self. Character is
ethical.
Character
manifests itself in the choices each of us must make. Men and women
of character try to be true to their inner best selves. A person of
moral character will choose the dignity of the person over business or material advantage, respect for
human beings over the lust for pleasure or success. A person of character is willing to go the extra mile
to make something “just right.” A person of character will take
a stand on principle and informed conscience.
And
so, the Word of God invites us, among other things, to become men and women of character.
Like Peter who, although he had failed at times, picked himself up to
do the right thing.
