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MARCH 20, 2008
Instruct the ignorant
Part three in a series on the Spiritual Works of Mercy
Ignorance can be dangerous. Not knowing that terrorists were targeting the World Trade Center in New York on 9/11 left the people inside largely defenseless. Not knowing that Hurricane Katrina would strike New Orleans left that city largely unprepared. It is dangerous to be ignorant of what we need to know.
On the other hand, sound instruction allows children and adults to flourish and whole societies to prosper. Education opens the way to self understanding, to problem solving, to the pursuit of wisdom, and to mutual collaboration for good.
The second work of mercy, i.e. to instruct the ignorant, is built on the conviction that teaching is necessary for persons to fulfill their potential and to complete their God-given mission in life. What is needed, above all, is moral and spiritual instruction, which is, of course, the basic responsibility of parents and teachers, and the primary mission Jesus gave to the Church (Cf. Mt 28:18-20).
Not knowing you don’t know
There are differing kinds of ignorance. It is one thing not to know Latin while knowing a professor who is willing to teach it. It is another thing not to know that Latin even exists. It is one thing not to know about God but to know where to learn about Him and to want to do so. It is another thing not even to know that God exists.
Unintentional ignorance differs greatly from ignorance that is our own fault, due to our own laziness or other moral weakness. The Second Vatican Council addressed this problem when it spoke of the dignity of moral conscience (Gaudium et Spes #16), “Through loyalty to conscience Christians are joined to others in the search for truth and for the right solution to so many moral problems which arise both in the life of individuals and from social relationships. Hence, the more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by the objective standards of moral conduct. Yet it often happens that conscience goes astray through ignorance which it is unable to avoid, without thereby losing its dignity. This cannot be said of the man who takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.”
The pursuit of wisdom begins with recognizing one’s own ignorance and then taking the steps to overcome it. But what happens when we don’t know that there is something vitally necessary to know? In this case, we need someone to instruct us.
Self-deception is the most tenacious kind of ignorance. Our own pride and shame can conspire to close our mind to the truth. In such a case, it is a great blessing if someone loves us enough to instruct us, thus enabling us to overcome our ignorance. Correction of our biases and prejudices through patient teaching is a genuine act of love.
The truth we need to know
There are certain truths we need in order to perform a job and others we need to drive a car. There are skills we need in order to survive and we need wisdom in order to mature. Above all, there are truths we need in order to know God and to love and serve Him. Obviously, not all these truths are of equal importance.
The second spiritual work of mercy is concerned primarily with those truths that are necessary for our eternal salvation. In other words, we need moral and spiritual instruction. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that “ignorance of God is the principle and explanation of all moral deviations. Our duty toward God is to believe in Him and to bear witness to Him” (#2087). To instruct those who are ignorant of God and the things of God is truly an act of mercy since such knowledge impacts on people’s eternal salvation.
It is not surprising, then, that St. Paul frequently exhorted his closest collaborators to make teaching the Gospel of Christ their first priority. For example, in his second letter to Timothy, he writes (4:1-5), “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus… proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient, convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.”
Our duty to evangelize
The faith that we receive as a gift brings with it the privilege and duty to hand it on as a gift. This begins in the home, through the grace-supported leadership of parents. Parents are the first educators of their children. By example and in words, they bear witness to the truth and reinforce religious education received beyond the home. As John Paul II wrote (Catechesi Tradendae, 68), “Family catechesis therefore precedes, accompanies and enriches all other forms of catechesis. Furthermore, in places where anti-religious legislation endeavors even to prevent education in the faith, and in places where widespread unbelief or invasive secularism makes real religious growth practically impossible, ‘the church of the home’ remains the one place where children and young people can receive an authentic catechesis. Thus there cannot be too great an effort on the part of Christian parents to prepare for this ministry of being their own children’s catechists and to carry it out with tireless zeal.”
Jesus’ command to evangelize is directed to the entire Church, not just to clergy and Religious. He told us (Mk 16:15), “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
A recent document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Dec. 14, 2007) reaffirmed the right and duty to evangelization: “Every person has the right to hear the Good News… This right implies the corresponding duty to evangelize… Respect for religious freedom and its promotion must not in any way make us indifferent towards truth and goodness. Indeed, love impels the followers of Christ to proclaim to all the truth which saves.”
Successful instruction of others in the faith depends on authenticity of life. Only the doer of God’s word can be its convincing messenger. As Saint Paul writes (1 Cor 13:1), “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” Integrity of life and gratitude for the gift of our faith prepare us to instruct the ignorant and to bear convincing witness to the living Jesus Christ.
Copyright 2008 The Catholic Sun.
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