God's Natural Law within Us

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When our mom was in a nursing home, I noticed another resident carrying a baby doll. I thought it was sweet; I imagine it reminded her of caring for her own children long-ago.

There are some things that are so ingrained in us, that like muscle memory, we do them without thinking about them.

That should be true of our human striving to love and care for others. God planted deep within us, a natural law, which "is written and engraved in the soul of each and every man . . . human reason ordaining him to do good and forbidding him to sin . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1954)

You may have noticed that when someone struggles with their motivation or actions, it may be because of the interior tension that is created when they act against natural law, which is encapsulated in our humanity.
 
On this Friday after Ash Wednesday, we might check ourselves to be sure that all we do is selflessly directed toward the good of others, and the glory of God, as we contemplate more deeply that natural law within us.
 
We had an interesting experiencing on Ash Wednesday.  As the ministers put ashes on our forehead, instead of them saying the familiar words, we were asked to say them for ourselves:  
 
"I will turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."

I've never done that before, but I really liked that we were owning that commitment for ourselves.  We had to speak it out loud. It was deeply moving.
 
Now if I can only manage to do it! 
 
Let's pray for one another that Lent is a time of transformation.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
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