Listen to your conscience; Church Fathers: Day 255

Last updated on: April 10, 2018 at 5:35 am by Pete Socks

Listen to your conscience; Church Fathers: Day 255 2018-04-10T05:35:13-05:00 Pete Socks

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Even your own father might have given up on you if you had never listened to him, says St. John Chrysostom. But God has given you a conscience that isn’t willing to give up. It will keep after you until you confess your sins.

Even if you do not confess, God is not ignorant of the deed, since he knew it before it was committed. Why then do you not speak of it? Does the transgression become heavier by the confession? No, it becomes lighter and less troublesome.

And this is why he wants you to confess: not that you should be punished, but that you should be forgiven; not that he may learn your sin—how could that be, since he has seen it?—but that you may learn what favor he bestows. He wishes you to learn the greatness of his grace, so that you may praise him perfectly, that you may be slower to sin, that you may be quicker to virtue.

And if you do not confess the greatness of the need, you will not understand the enormous magnitude of his grace. I do not oblige you, he says, to come into the midst of the assembly before a throng of witnesses; declare the sin in secret to me only, so that I may heal the sore and remove the pain.

Therefore he has placed within us a conscience more faithful than a father. For a father having warned his son once, or twice, or three times, or perhaps ten times, when he sees him remaining uncorrected, publicly renounces him and dismisses him from the house, and severs the tie of relationship. But conscience does not act that way. For if once, or twice, or three times, or a thousand times it speaks, and you do not obey, it will speak again, and will not cease until the last breath; and both in the house and in the street, at table and in the market, and on the road, often even in dreams, it places before us the image and appearance of our sins.

–St. John Chrysostom, Four Discourses, 4.4

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

When I listen to my conscience, is it trying to remind me of something?

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, purify my life, and cleanse my heart from every sin and stain, so that I may praise you with a pure heart and conscience.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Remember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Mike Aquilina and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.

A Year with the Church Fathers

Church Fathers

Mike Aquilina

Saint Benedict Press

Saint John Chrysostom

Previous Post

April 9, 2018

Weep, and find joy; Church Fathers: Day 254

Next Post

April 11, 2018 Learn to forgive; Church Fathers: Day 256

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Year with Mary A Year with the Angels A Year with the Church Fathers Book News Children's Review Featured CD Giveaway Guest Post Interview Linked Review Media review Movie Review New Releases Off the Shelf Review speakers Teen Review The Clergy Speaks The Laity Speaks The Open Book Podcast Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz