FREEDOM FROM THE INSIDEOur Freedom and The Church as our teacher.

YOUR CONSCIENCE CALLS YOU TO BECOME BETTER & HOLY

Everything you have ever done has a witness.a) Have you ever been bother for

something you did, that you knew was wrong?

b) Or have you ever NOT done something because you knew it was wrong?

This small voice inside of your heart that tells you the difference between right or wrong is called your: CONSCIENCE. You are your constantly witness to

your own actions, through your CONSCIENCE.

In addition, Your Conscience calls you to become a better and a Holy Person.

EVERYONE WAS CREATED WITH A CONSCIENCE

Every single person God has created has a CONSCIENCE.

It is another building Gift that God gave in every man, in all times, and in all places.

Because God created man with Free Will and Reason, He wants you 1) to use this reason to know 2) and to do what is good, 3) So you can keep growing in the

Love that you have for Him.

CONSCEINCE WHERE FREEDOM & GOD’S LAW MEET

In the last lesson you learned all about God’s Law Remember, God’s Law set all men free

because God crated us for Him, And He wants you and every single

person, he ever created to be with Him in Heaven.

God wants you to freely choose Him by freely following His Laws

God is so good with you that He gave you a CONSCIENCE.

CONSCEINCE is where freedom & God’s Law meet.

YOU JUDGE WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG ACCORDING TO GOD’S LAW

CONSCEINCE is where freedom & God’s Law meet.

You judge what is right or wrong according to God’s Law, and then apply it to everyday life. Although God gives you Laws to follow,

He loves you so much that HE do not make you follow them.

He wants you to follow them because you love Him

He is not going to do your thinking & your doing, for you.

That is why He gave you reason & free Will,

so you can use them to think and make decisions about what you’re going to do.

GOD’S LAW IS WRITTEN IN EVERY HUMAN HEART

In order to understand conscience, we going to review: God’s Law

One very important factor to remember about God’s Law is that you can apply it to our Conscience. God’s Law is the same for all time, for all people, all

places; NO MATTER who you are, or where you lived.

God’s Law is written in every human heart because every human person No Matter where they were born, or who they are… it is a person made in Image & Likeness of God.

All people are held to a high standard of DIGNITY because of His Image & Likeness

Therefore, God’s Law never goes out of style or gets old. It always remain…

GOD LEAVES IT UP TO YOU TO APPLY HIS LAW

And because of all this, God gives you a very big responsibility.

He leaves it up to you to apply His Law, in all the varieties of moments, in your particular life.

He gives every person, He ever created, responsibility This is where person’s freedom meet His

Law. Although He gave you the guide line, it is up to you to use our reason & free

will to apply them in your ordinary everyday

life.

Your CONSCIENCE is base on all of God’s Laws which are TRUTH.

YOUR CONSCIENCE TAKES THIS TRUTHS

Your conscience takes these Truths that you know from God’s Laws,

and apply them to judge what to do in a particular situation.

For Example: God’s Law tells you it is wrong to lie

God’s Law never Change1) And it is always wrong to lie in all the

situations… 2) because God knows “lie” Is Not The Truth

He created you for.3) And it is below our Human Dignity to lie

CONSCIENCE BASE ON THE UNCHANGING OF GOD’S LAW

Let see an example of “a lie” Your Mom bake some cookies, and asked you if you ate all

them you are embarrassed because you ate all the cookies that

she bake & were cooling on the counter. This is were your conscience kicks in! God’s Law does not specifically say:

that you shall not lie to your Mom about the question of eating all the cookies…NO!

The Commandment just said: “You shall not bare false witness against your neighbor”.

So, your conscience base on the unchanging of God’s Law…

it can make a JUDGMENT, in this particular situation,

a) to judge that you Shall Not Lied, b) and you should admit that you ate all the cookies.

So following your Conscience, a) you Reason what is right thing to do, b) and you admit you ate all the cookies.

USE YOUR FREEDOM TO CHOOSE GOD

Every time you use your freedom to choose God in a particular moment to follow His Laws, the more free you are.

It is just like exercising your muscles, the more you use them, the stronger you become.

The more you exercise your “Will” in choosing God, more free you become to keep choosing Him.

HIS LAWS HAVE BEEN THE SAME THROUGH ALL TIME

Think about the millions of people God has created over the centuries,

His Laws have been the same through all time for all these millions of people

And each individually has give a responsibility to apply God’s Law in their own Life.

Your CONSCIENCE is the tool He gave you & all the millions of people; to all through time for this huge responsibility!

With your CONSCIENCE you are to use your freedom in any situation, you may find yourself in.

USE YOUR FREEDOM TO MAKE A GOOD JUDGMENT

Using your own freedom and God’s Law, your CONSCIENCE helps you, in the practical living of life..

to use your freedom to make a good judgment about what is good & right.

For example The 4th Commandment said that you Honor your father & mother

a) God wants you to show respect to your father & mother,

b) But also, He wants you to exercise your freedom and reason to show them honor & love.

Now, the Commandment does not say specifically how to show honor to your father & mother Or how to avoid dishonoring them

YOUR CONSCIENCE IS ALWAYS ON THE ALERT

Lets see an Example on an specific situation Once your mother ask you to help with dinner

Even thought it is Not a Commandment that says

That you should go and make a dinner salad when your mother ask…

Your Conscience, accessing the Specific of the situation, helps you to freely choose to obey your Mom,

and go make the salad. Isn't that easy?

So you are following God’s Law (4th Commandment) by making a salad for dinner.

Your Conscience is always on the alert, watching what is right and what is wrong.

YOUR CONSCIENCE IS ALWAYS ON THE ALERT

Not only your conscience work before you make a decision, It is also working overtime, while you act or should

acted, It is always a witness to your actions

For example: Your mom asks you to do a salad, and you say Yes! But then you continue to doing your things

Your Conscience is that little feeling inside of you that tells you to do what your mom asked you to do It is pocking you; it keeps pocking you!

Actually this action of your conscience can lead you to do what is right and what is good. After a couple of minutes, of trying to ignore your

conscience, you get up & do what you were ask.

YOUR CONSCIENCE IS YOUR CONSTANT WITNESS TO ALL YOUR ACTIONS

Your conscience is your constant witness to all your thoughts and actions.

And it doesn’t quit once the judgment has been made and an action began… Isn’t your conscience busy?

Some times you force our conscience into working even harder

Think about when you’re done something you knew was wrong

Remember your conscience is your constant witness It let you know what you are doing is against

God’s Law. That is why you may feel guilty or bad

sometimes.

NOW YOUR CONSCIENCE HELPS YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT JUDGMENT

Let see an example:a) You are playing baseball and you brake your neighbor

windowb) It was an accident you didn't meant to brake your

neighbor’s windowc) But immediately you reacted by running away

Now your Conscience is going to help you to make the right judgment, on these particular circumstance, of what you should do. So half way down to the street, your conscience is calling

you, to own up the fact that you destroy the window And now it would be good & honorable for your to go to

admitted to your neighbor and apologize.

This is just the right thing to do so you start to slow down and our conscience is telling you

to go back Your Conscience witness to your actions and urge you to go

your neighbors house and admit what happen By turning back & apologizing by braking the

window, you did what is RIGHT & GOOD

YOUR CONSCIENCE LEADS YOU BACK TO GOD

Since your conscience is a witness to all your actions, when you sin, your conscience leads you back to God

It witness you all your actions and reminds you of the dignity and love which you were created for

When the conscience witnesses your actions, it sends out warnings, signals when you have done something that goes against God’s Love.

This conscience send this signals to your heart to be sorry and to ask God’s forgiveness, in the sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation.

It is the witness that reminds all you have done or neglected to do, that was not pleasing to God, and not following His Law.

THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION YOU ARE ONCE AGAIN SET FREE FROM SIN

THROUGH THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION YOU ARE ONCE AGAIN SET FREE FROM SIN

Examination of Conscience is one of the first steps of a good confession.

You can examine your conscience (your witness) to see what you need to set free from

Going through the sacrament of Confession you are once again set free from sin. Since your realize is your conscience to

help make judgment about what is right and good…

It is very important for you to make sure that your conscience is on tip top shape.

This leads to Freedom!

“CONSCIENCE” THE JUDGMENT OF REASON

Remember, “Conscience” is the judgment of reason, where you take God’s Laws and applied them to your life.

Your judgment is base on the laws of God that never change God’s laws never change ever

Sometimes you reason can make bad judgment because you some times you make mistakes1) Because you don’t have enough information to make

a good judgment2) Or someone thought you something different, or give

you the wrong information

This doesn’t make us God’s laws wrongRemember God’s Law is TRUTH, and Truth never changes

So the conclusion is that you were wrong and you make a wrong judgment

WE MAKE WRONG JUDGMENTS

Sometimes we make wrong judgments; it is inevitable In every day life this can happen all the time

For example1) You run into your garage door with your bike because

you were faster than you thought 2) or you burn a chocolate cake because you didn’t

thought the oven was too hot.

You can make mistakes since your conscience is a function of your “Reason or intellect”, it can error, and make judgments that do not line up with the Reason

and Divine Law

The errors can be because by a variety of reasons.a) You may not have had all the information you needb) Or maybe you misunderstoodc) Or you were thought something differentd) Or you were thought some incorrect information

ERRORS CAN BE BECAUSE A VARIETY OF REASONS

Errors can be because a variety of reasons, but although this may happen, ultimately is up to you to get all the information…

your conscience need to make a good judgment. God left this responsibility, up to you,

And it is one of the responsibility that goes with freedom.

Getting all the information that your conscience need to make a good decision is called: FORMING YOUR CONSCIENCE

THE VALUE & RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR CONSCIENCE

St. Paul knew the value and responsibility of his conscience

He wrote an encourage letter to the Romans and says:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That you may prove what’s God's will is good, pleasing and perfect.

GOD PROVIDES YOU WITH ALL THE MEANS NECESSARY

One way to renew your mind is constantly working on learning what is good, acceptable, & perfect.

God has provided you with wise people, like your parents, teachers, the pope & bishops, etc.

God also gives us the Holy Scriptures, but that is not all Just as you look your Mom & Dad for help

on forming your conscience and learning what is right & wrong,

God also provides another guide (who you were born spiritually at your baptism) It is the Church our teacher!

HOW CAN THE CHURCH BE OUR TEACHER?

We already talked about God’s law and how the judgment of your conscience is base in the Truth of God’s Law

But you will need a little reference You may know God’s Law, but you may not always

know the best way to follow His Laws. And you know that you want to, but you don’t know

how

So where can you go for help? As usually God provides He gave the Church the authority to interpret His Law; This is one of the particular laws of the MAGISTERIUM

of the Church

MAGISTERIUM means the Pope & all the Bishops in union with him.

THE LAW OF GOD WAS ENTRUSTED TO THE MAGISTERIUM WHO IS GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE LAW OF GOD WAS ENTRUSTED TO THE MAGISTERIUM

The Law of God was entrusted to the Magisterium who is guided by the Holy Spirit

The Church has the same goal for you, as your heavenly Father does She is your teacher and wants you to join your

Father in Heaven She Loves you and helps you to follow His Law.

Just think what the Church has lived through over the years, since Jesus established her on earth:

a) Persecution, Heresies, etc.

b) No to mention how the world has change; Think all the changes do the world have gone through

The Church & her authority have remain stronger She still the Pillar & the builder of the TRUTH Even when so many times the world is very confuse

Since Jesus is Truth and Right, He can never be wrong, He is God!

He established the Church to carry his mission, after He ascended into heaven

He gave the Church the gift of INFALLABILITY

INFALLABILITY: guaranties that the Church can never be wrong in matters of faith & morals.

The Infallibility of the Church is rooted in the Truth of Christ

On the Gospel of Matthew, He said:

All power is given to me in heaven and earth, Go therefore, teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you and behold I am with you always, even to the consummation of the world (Matthew 28: 18-20)

THE CHURCH CAN GUIDE YOU IN GOOD & MORAL ACTS.

The Gift of Infallibility is not for the Church itself; it is for you & your conscience

So she can guide you in good & moral acts.

The church is so anxious to get you to Heave;she takes the time to teach you all about the Truth

You can see the infallibility of the Church in action when the Pope makes a declaration about faith & morals;they teaches us about what is right & what is wrong.

It is Jesus teaching through the Chair of Peter and the Magisterium of the Church.

IT IS JESUS TEACHING THROUGH THE CHAIR OF PETER AND THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH

When it comes to growing in Holiness, the Church does not hold back,

Not only you are guaranty guidance, but she places with everything you can possible need to form your conscience, to know what is good. And straighten your Will to do what is good.

First, safe guard the word of God Scriptures contains God’s Law both the Old Law of the 10

commandments And also the New Life of Christ

WHEN IT COMES TO GROWING IN HOLINESS, THE CHURCH DOES NOT HOLD BACK

She also has the Sacraments: (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Holy Orders, Holy Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick) you can gain Grace, and live a good and moral life. Sacraments that help you see more clearly the

truth of God’s Law, and Grow in Holiness

But that’s not all, through all times, and all places, the Church has held up examples of those who have gone before us This are the Saints The saints are example of Holiness, obedience and witnesses to the Church of Christ which stay

profess

Not only the saints are models of Holiness, they also show us how to be obedience and love the Church.

QUICK REVIEW

1. What does your conscience base its judgment on determine if an action is right or wrong? God’s law, it is always Truth and it is always unchanging

2. Which Sacrament does your conscience move you toward, by being a witness of all of your action? Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation

3. What is it called, when you seek to know what is True and Good? It is called FORMING YOUR CONSCIENCE This keep your conscience in tip top shape and informing

it, so you could made good decision forming your conscience.

4. Who has Jesus authority to interpret God’s Law?The Church

YOUR CONSCIENCE KEEP YOU

IN THE RIGHT TRACK

• Your conscience keep you in the right track, using reason,

• you can make a judgment about what is right and what is wrong

• By applying God’s Law to every situation in your life.