Common sense is not enough

WHILE we always have to use it, we have to understand that
we just cannot be completely guided by common sense, or what some
people refer to as “what comes naturally.” Our common sense would not
be enough to cope with all the situations and issues we can encounter
in life.

            Especially these days when things are getting increasingly
complicated, we need to see to it that we are adequately equipped to
tackle the challenges of the times. There are many developments taking
place from all sides, political, economic, social, technological,
etc., and we just have to know how to grapple with them with some
degree of competence.

            We cannot be indifferent to these developments. Rather we
should feel a great responsibility to direct the course of these
developments in a way that is proper to our dignity as persons and as
children of God. We are supposed to be masters of time and history.

            Now that we are facing powerful ideological forces that
are not anymore shy in admitting to be godless, we have to know how to
have a handle on this very exciting situation.

            No, we cannot solely rely on our common sense simply
because it only has a limited range of capabilities. It usually can
cope with situations that only require instinctive reactions or those
with which we are already most familiar and that call for more or less
routine responses only.

            And though we can enrich it, as we should, as we go along
in life, we have to understand that our common sense is by nature
subjective and highly relative. It comes as a result of our exposure
to the different things in life and our experiences, and is
conditioned by our upbringing, our temperament, our social and
cultural milieu, etc. That’s why what is commonsensical to one may not
be so to another.

            Besides, our common sense usually cannot penetrate into
the more subtle, complex things in life, and much less, the spiritual
and supernatural aspects. The ideal, of course, is to have our common
sense already completely infused with the impulses of faith, hope and
charity, but that will always be a lifelong quest, requiring heroic
efforts.

            We need to overcome our tendency to simply rely on our
common sense. Without, of course, ignoring it, we need to go beyond
it. We should not make it the status quo of our thinking.

            We have to study and take up the lifelong journey of
knowing more and more things, especially the doctrine of our faith
that in the end is the ultimate source of knowledge for us, of what is
good and proper to us, of what would bring us to our ultimate end, our
eternal life.

            Thus, we have to realize that our thinking, judging and
reasoning should be theological. That is to say, it should not be
simply be based on what we see, feel, understand with our reason
alone. It should always consider the inputs of faith.

            This means that we have to be reflective in our thoughts
and reactions. We have to overcome our tendency simply to be
spontaneous and driven only by the impulses of our instincts, emotions
and tentative understanding of things.

            There is a need to study the truths of our faith,
meditating on them and figuring out, perhaps with the help of a
spiritual director, how these truths can be incarnated in our
attitudes, thoughts, intentions, words, feelings and emotions, and
actions. The ideal would be if these truths of our faith become the
very instincts of our behaviour.

            Let us enrich our common sense with these truths. That is
why it would be good if together with the mundane concerns all of us
have, we would know how to incorporate in our daily, weekly, monthly
schedules, etc., a plan for continuing formation, involving time to
study, to pray and meditate, and to attend to some means of formation.

            Then let us develop virtues which will always be an
ongoing affair for us. We can never say we are virtuous enough. As St.
Augustine once said, the moment we say enough, we would already have
retrogressed in our spiritual and moral life.

            Let us be clear about this need, and avoid a cavalier
attitude toward it, something that, sad to say, is rampant nowadays,
even among those who can be considered as highly educated.

            Let’s take this as a very personal concern that we ought
to share with the others, especially within the family, and then with
friends, relatives, colleagues, etc. Let’s raise our common sense to
the level of faith, hope and charity.