Deacon Joe Standridge speaking at the RR Catholic Community Oct. 14 gathering
Cris Thompson
Most would agree that we are currently living in an age of confusion, where every moral decision seems to lie in the very murky waters of “compromise”—the “lesser of two evils.” So, how do we calibrate our moral compass in these situations? Deacon Joe Standridge, our speaker at the Oct. 14 RR Catholic Community gathering, has the answer: the natural law.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The natural law expresses the original moral sense which enables man to discern by reason the good and the evil, the truth and the lie. The natural law is written and engraved in the soul of every human, because it is human reason ordaining him to do good and forbidding him to sin.”
Natural law is a moral compass that all cultures have—rules of conduct for the common good. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, Plato, and Sophocles discussed concepts of justice and morality as natural law. St. Thomas Aquinas integrated these ideas into a comprehensive moral and legal framework that influenced Western legal systems. The Declaration of Independence references the concept of natural law. Martin Luther King, Jr., quoted St. Aquinas about unjust laws.
Human laws are just laws only if they follow natural law. Many laws today concerning same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia are out of harmony with the natural law.
How do we determine what is morally right? Often, when making a decision, the first and loudest voice we hear is our ego. The second voice we hear is from our heart, the Holy Spirit. We need to let that voice from our heart get to our head before we make a decision.
We need to pray for guidance. And if we make the wrong decision? The Sacrament of Confession allows us to get back on to the narrow road of natural law that leads us to God.
Deacon Joe recommended two books he has found very useful: Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow, by Karen Casey, and Made This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues, by Trent Horn and Leila Miller. He also recommended participating in The Catechism in a Year, with Fr. Mike Schmitz.
The next gathering of the RR Catholic Community will be on Nov. 11, when speaker Susan Moses, editor of North Texas Catholic, will talk about her trip to the Holy Land.
Other upcoming events: Christmas Outreach donations for our Daily Bread are due at the November meeting. The RR Catholic Community Christmas Celebration will be held on Dec. 2. Now is the time to sign up to participate in the 2026 potluck group.
For further information, please contact Joan Bridges at bridges84@msn.com.