REFLECTION ON THE 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
By Dave Drown
We have many voices within us. When faced with a difficult situation, the voice of cowardice may say, "I can get away with it." The voice of greed asks, "How can I benefit by it?" Lust may say, "This will make me happy." But the most important voice, the one that usually speaks first and should be listened to first, is the voice of our conscience. It will see your situation and ask, "Is it right?" In today's Gospel reading from John, Jesus refers to our inner conscience as an Advocate, the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit within us guides us in every aspect of our daily lives, but as Jesus also points out, the world around us will not accept its reality because such a world cannot see it or hear it. The voice of the Holy Spirit is our gift, the one true guide to living a life with Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that a person's moral conscience enables him or her to do the right thing at the appropriate time. It also judges the decisions we make, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil (CCC 1777). Today, we are called to listen to our conscience, because when we do, we are truly listening to the voice of God.
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