Chapter VII. On the education of conscience

On The Education Of Conscience.¹⁶⁰

¹⁶⁰ Cf. Tract. de interiori domo seu de conscientia aedificanda among the spurious works of St. Bernard (Migne, Patr. lat. 184, 507 sqq.). Cf. concerning the education of conscience Tanquerey, Synopsis Theol. mor. n. 422 sqq.; Bouquillon, Theol. mor. fund. n. 280; H. D. Noble, O.P., La conscience morale, Paris 1923, Second part, Les perfections naturelles et surnaturelles de la conscience morale.

353. Since conscience is the proximate rule of our moral acts, and since from our acts well regulated the whole happy eternal life depends, it matters greatly that our conscience be a right rule and a faithful guide on the way to eternal happiness. As is clear from what was said above, conscience is an act of practical reason. But in order that practical reason may always be able to elicit right and perfect acts of this sort, it needs special education and formation. Synderesis, indeed, or the habit of first practical principles, is like a little spark in our mind kindled from divine light according to that saying of the psalm: "The light of thy countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us";¹⁶¹ but it touches only the general principles of moral life. Therefore it is necessary that conscience founded upon synderesis be cultivated, so that it can rightly extend itself to all particular acts of moral life. For obtaining this, natural and supernatural means are at hand.

¹⁶¹ Ps. 4, 7.

354. On the natural means. 1. The first and most efficacious means for acquiring a good conscience is a good education had from infancy. It is of great importance that the distinction between good and evil be inculcated upon children again and again, that children become accustomed to doing good from intimate conviction, and not only for obtaining reward or praise, or for avoiding punishment. Likewise it must be inculcated upon boys and girls that they lend attentive ears to conscience, which is nothing other than the voice of God. But in doubt whether something is licit or illicit, let them approach experienced and honest men, not however imprudent and depraved men, for the sake of taking counsel. The good example of parents and teachers also contributes much to right education, while on the contrary their evil example produces the worst effects.

2. The second means for cultivating conscience is the perfect sincerity of a man with himself, which is obtained by faithful, continual, and candid scrutiny of one's own conscience. On this matter St. John Chrysostom writes most beautifully:¹⁶² "Do you not have at home a book in which you write daily accounts? Have likewise a book in conscience, and write down daily sins; for example, when you are lying in your bed and no one is making trouble for you, before sleep creeps in, bring the little book into the midst and reckon your sins with yourself, saying to yourself: Have I sinned today either by speech or by deed? ... And when you reckon these things, suspend your soul, lacerate it, open it with fear of gehenna, ... so that on the next day you may approach the perpetrating of sins more sluggishly." In reality, the daily examination of conscience greatly serves not only for right knowledge of oneself, but also for living rightly. Hence it is to be commended as much as possible.

¹⁶² In Ps. 50 hom. 2, n. 5 sq. (Migne, Patr. graec. 55, 581). It is to be counseled that the examination of conscience not be made in bed, but before one goes to bed.

355. On the supernatural means. 1. For having a candid conscience, the first and most efficacious means is fervent prayer to God, the Father of light, that he may wish to illuminate our darkness. Since conscience is the voice of God speaking in us, it is easily understood why frequent and fervent elevation of the mind to God through prayer renders us apt for clearly perceiving this voice and for faithfully obeying it once perceived. Therefore one must often pray: "Give me understanding, [O Lord], and I shall learn thy commandments";¹⁶³ or: "With heavenly mercy, O Lord, we beseech thee, accompany the vows of thy supplicating people, that they may both see what things are to be done and grow strong for fulfilling the things they have seen."¹⁶⁴

2. A strenuous fight against disordered passions with the help of divine grace is the second means for obtaining a right and candid conscience. The reason is obvious: the passions often are disordered in us on account of the tinder of original sin and on account of our inconstancy. But such disordered passions cloud reason; for they are like a dense smoke rising up and intercepting the clear rays of reason. For this reason daily experience proves that men captive under the yoke of disordered passions have a lax or even cauterized conscience; on the contrary, those strenuous victors over the passions, who daily exercise virtues, rejoice in a very tender conscience.

3. Sacramental confession and obedience rendered to a prudent spiritual director is the third and very good means for having a tender conscience. The reason is again very obvious. For it is necessary that diligent examination of conscience precede sacramental confession, whose usefulness has already been declared above and which the old pagans already acknowledged, establishing the loftiest principle of moral life: Know thyself. After examination of conscience has been diligently performed and confession has been made to a prudent confessor, the spiritual director, aided by divine light, can impose the best rules for leading a right moral life. If any doubts occur, the spiritual director, endowed with greater knowledge, experience, and grace annexed to his state, can safely solve them. Hence it happens that after a good confession and obedience rendered to a good spiritual director, all remorse of conscience usually ceases; which is a sign not at all obscure that the soul is in a good state and pleasing to God. Obedience must be rendered to the confessor or spiritual director not only by the uneducated and those ignorant of Moral Theology, but also by anyone most learned. The reason is twofold, one natural, the other supernatural. The natural reason is the difficulty, not to say impossibility, of judging in one's own case. Hence also the common adage says: "Let no one be judge in his own case." For on account of excessive love of himself, a man is easily deceived in judgment concerning his own acts. The supernatural reason is the institution of the sacrament of penance, which is necessary for all sinners. But in the tribunal of penance the confessor is the judge, to whom whoever desires to receive this sacrament is bound to submit himself. Hence examples are at hand where even emperors and kings had to obey a spiritual superior by doing penance for excesses committed and by instituting a new moral life.

These are the chief means for cultivating conscience, so that it may be conformed to divine reason and law, and therefore a safe norm of acting.

¹⁶³ Ps. 118, 73.

¹⁶⁴ Prayer of Sunday within the Octave of Epiphany.