Conscience assists us in judging how we interact and apply to the complexity of mixed social issues. It is the sense of right and wrong, but also the obligations that follow from our understanding of what is right and wrong.

Before I started in Live Life, I believed that life is sacred and inviolable, however, there were also issues I stand differently. There were things I think are permissible. My conscience was malformed, and I followed what God teaches but I lost sight of the purpose behind the moral law. Thankfully, God led me to Live Life.

I learned that conscience must be formed and informed. It takes time to form our conscience so that we can make well-reasoned judgements. We need to work continually on it so we can be prepared to make decisions whenever the opportunity arises. We must be open to the truth and what is right, respect and follow reason and God’s law. We should allow ourselves to be formed by what God has revealed to us. Prayer is essential for this; it will keep us focused.

We should not settle for informing our conscience from mere information obtained from sources that do not have our best interest at heart. We should examine the facts and information about various choices and be discerning in where we gather information. It must be informed by the Word of God, what the Church teaches in the Catechism that can help us grow in knowledge of the truth.

May we ask ourselves where we are forming what we believe and what are the truths we hold sacred. Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want nor is it a mere feeling about what we should do or what should not do. It is a wonderful gift from God, it helps us recognize the truth about how we ought to live. Our conscience is a trustworthy guide only when it is well formed, kept well informed and ruled by God.

Let us pray to God to strengthen us with the virtues of faith, hope, love and especially prudence. May He guide us each day and send us graces to always do His will.