Who am I supposed to listen to?

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Week One: Who am I supposed to listen to?

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I thought I knew which choices were the right ones. Now, I’m not so sure.

I’m a cradle Catholic. I spent twelve years in Catholic school. I thought I knew what it meant to be a good Catholic. It was pretty simple: follow the Ten Commandments, go to Mass every Sunday, attend Confession, and pray the Rosary. Do what’s right and confess when you do wrong.

I thought I’d know if I did something wrong.

My conscience would tell me. I’d feel guilty. And if I didn’t know what was right, the Church and my parents would be there to tell me. But things are harder, now. Issues are more complex. Nothing’s clear-cut.

Now, life is more complicated.

Now, every viewpoint, every value, every voice wants my attention. Now, I’m bombarded by the news and current events.

How do I know if I’m making good and right choices? How do I develop an “adult” Catholic conscience?

Who am I supposed to listen to?

God gave us a mind that can learn. God gave us a conscience to figure out what good decisions are. And God made us with free will so we could make those good decisions. We’re influenced by everything—our peers, the news, and world events. It can be overwhelming—unless we follow the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus is our moral compass.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). Shouldn’t we look to Jesus to learn what’s right?

Catholic Social Teaching, first developed by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is an easy, faith-based way to help us form our conscience in today’s world.

Let’s turn to Catholic Social Teaching and make it our compass.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops calls Catholic Social Teaching a “central and essential element of our faith.” It’s based on Church teachings and the words of Jesus Christ.

It can help us live a life of holiness despite today’s challenges.

It can help the modern Catholic build “a just society.” It teaches principles and values that are “badly needed in our time.”

So join us for Modern Catholic.

It’s our new, weekly series that explores the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Find us in the bulletin each week, or delve deeper here, online.

We can’t wait to go on this journey with you.