Listen to your heart; let your conscience be your guide; my gut tells me to make this decision or that decision...
We've heard these adages many times, I'm sure, but what are we to make of them?
They sound good; they sound right, but should they be the rudder that steers our ship of life, or should there be something more concrete; more sure that will guide us to our final destination?
As an example, a husband and father must look to his own family first before he can pour out his energies, for instance, to assist in the noble cause of the pro-life movement helping to save the lives of innocent pre-born babies. If he were to neglect his responsibilities to his family -- to perfect their personal sanctity -- in order to take part in the movement, then his priorities are misplaced. On the other hand, if he is anchored in the (Catholic) faith, then he can listen to his heart; let his conscience be his guide, or act on his gut feeling to do the right thing...
The Catholic faith teaches us that we must love God and neighbor, anything less, and one fails in his goal -- and command -- to preach and baptize, and to worship his Creator as he has been directed in accordance with his chosen vocation in life.
Sentimentalism and feelings, on the other hand are not based on faith -- without which, it is impossible to please God (St. Paul) -- but on an ill-formed conscience. This can very easily lead to a false sense of compassion or mercy, forgetting that both the former are based on justice -- which comprises true charity for our neighbor.
St. Paul further states that "...though I give up my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Corinthians 3, King James version of the Bible).
Sentimentalism, in fact, can be a destroyer of souls because it can ignore what has been transmitted down through the centuries by the Magisterium, and the deposit of faith: Scripture and Tradition. Sentimentalism can also deny what is required to know in order to reach the beatific vision after we leave this veil of tears, such as the denial of the key dogma of the teachings of Christ, that outside His Church, there is no salvation. If all religions did indeed lead to salvation, then Our Lord's horrendous sacrifice on the Cross was superfluous. Sentimentalism, or feelings, argue that God wishes all men to be saved; true, but leaves out the condition that one must come to the knowledge of His truth.
Sentimentalism is built on a foundation of sand that can shift with the spirit of the age The faith, on the other hand, is built on the immoveable foundation of solid rock. As in the fairy tale, the wolf easily blew down the house built of straw, but met his match when he huffed and puffed on the house built of brick...
Sentimentalism is part of our human nature, but must be mastered with the knowledge of revealed religion, and not human feelings...
Viva Cristo Rey! Fr. Miguel Pro, pray for us...
Gene DeLalla
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