The season of Lent gives us numerous opportunities to deepen our spiritual lives. We use this time to grow closer to Jesus. 

 

We recognize that every moment of our life, every decision that we make, is really part of our choice for eternity. In the end, we choose to be with Jesus for eternity, or we choose to be apart from Him in hell.

 

Lent helps us to focus on that eternal choice, especially as we prepare to celebrate Holy Week with the Lord. For us to understand and embrace Jesus and the cross on Good Friday, we need to think of our sins that made Jesus die for us. 

 

During Lent, then, we do focus on our sins. We seek to strip away the excuses, the rationalizations that we are prone to and the falling asleep of conscience that can make us seek to conform to the attitudes and fashions of this current age.

 

In thinking of our sinfulness, we often focus on our external actions. Fair enough. We recognize the need to be done with bad language, abusive comments, or immoral relationships. These and other external sins are obvious variances from the teaching of Jesus. They put us at odds with Jesus Himself.

 

The Lord, however, has called us to give ourselves to Him completely. In essence, He has asked us not to stop at external actions. We are called to give Him our hearts. 

 

That means that even our thoughts must also be a part of our Lenten renewal. Of course our thoughts must be guarded as part of our chastity and purity. However, we need to address and banish also thoughts of anger, hatred and evil wishes toward others.

 

There is another level of thoughts that we might well examine this Lenten season. Those are the thoughts of our conscience.

 

In the modern day, conscience is often misunderstood. The Second Vatican Council teaches that conscience is “man’s most secret core, and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God, whose voice echoes in his depths. By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is fulfilled in the love of God and one’s neighbor” (Gaudium et Spes, 16).

 

We have often heard that because of this profound connection between our conscience and God Himself, we must always follow our conscience. 

 

But to be true and just, the conscience that guides us must first be rightly formed. It must seek the truth that is God Himself, not simply some truth that I create personally. Conscience also must be willing to sacrifice and to witness to the world about the truth.

 

It is possible for conscience not to be in search of the truth. In that case, what claims to be conscience is simply my own desires or willfulness, or simply my own mistaken understanding of the world.

 

Christ has given us the Church to remind us of His truth in every age. In a special way, the moral teaching of the Church is a sure guide to right conscience and to God’s will for us. 

 

In this Lenten season, we should ask if we have our consciences guided by Christ and the Church? Or do we, in the silence of our hearts resist the guidance and direction coming from the Church? This too is a question for us during Lent.

 

Once again, let me personally invite you to seek the forgiveness of sins this Lent by coming to confession. Especially if you have been away from confession for years, please come. 

 

Don’t forget that on March 21 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., confessions will be heard continuously throughout the Diocese of Rockford. Check your local parish for precise times.

 

Please, use this Lent to be done with sin, to examine your conscience, and to choose Jesus for all eternity.