What does it really mean when we say that? Why is that, when we have done a wrong or committed a sin, most of us are haunted by "something"? That "thing" is, of course, our conscience. The word conscience means "with-knowing". This knowing is what keeps us accountable to God, to society and to our own deepest self. Theologians tell us that there are two types of conscience - anterior and subsequent. Anterior conscience is what we use when we are searching and deliberating about what we should do in a particular situation. Subsequent conscience is when we look back and examine an action or decision already made.
The challenge for us as Christians is to make sure that always seek to better form our conscience so it is capable of leading us to good moral choices and of examining choices already made. We do this in prayer by asking God to reveal to us our own "dark side" so that we can continue to improve. We also do this in study by reading and understanding Scripture, digging into the Catechism and other trustworthy resources, and by taking time every day to reflect on our thoughts and actions. In the end we rely on God's grace given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation to propel us to a saintly lifestyle.
I am attending a 4-hr talk this Friday on "conscience". I'll write more on this when I process the speaker's message.
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