THE MORAL LIFE according to
Pre-Vatican II concepts is Authority-Centered, Law-Centered, Sin-Centered, and
Guilt-Centered.
Vatican II Council, however, in its
paradigm-shifts on Theology, has stressed a Growth-Centered concept. This new concept states: “We change not because of our sins, but because we are loved by
God. We become aware of our potentials;
that we are lovable. We celebrate our original blessings. Morality is being true to our own humanity.”
Pondering on this new way of looking
at morality, I could see the relevance of a theory postulated by Rev. Fr.
Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, in his book “The Phenomenon of Man”. He said that everything in this world is in
‘EV0LUTION’. The whole world is in the
process of changing, and in the long run it will be changing for the better
despite all the evils that seem to thwart this process. “ Man
himself is Evolution being conscious of himself.”
Looking at what is actually
happening in the world today, I could
see that, indeed, as a whole, we are experiencing many things that have changed
for the better. In the field of communication, for instance, the science of
computerization has certainly made a great change for a better and faster way
of giving and getting information. In
the field of transportation, the advent
of cars and airplanes have made a tremendous change in our mobility in this world. In the field of infrastructure, we see a great change in the building of
roads, bridges, building, etc. In
socialization, there is a movement towards
the unification of mankind despite the still many misunderstandings that tend
to divide the world. These are some
indications that this world is, indeed, in the process of changing for the
better.
For mankind this process of change
depends a lot on the gift of freedom which God, in His infinite goodness, has
bestowed on man to enable him to respond to his love. When man uses this gift to do something good,
then he contributes towards making this world a better place to live in. But when man abuses this gift and does
something wrong, then he somehow
obstructs the movement of change for the better. For man, therefore, morality is using the
gift of freedom in order to become a better person. Hence, it is GROWTH-CENTERED.
This paradigm shift in understanding
the Moral Life is for me a challenge to use the Gift of Freedom and do what I
am convinced to do to have a personal relationship with God and thus become a
better person.
By: Buddy Cagurangan
April 1, 2012
