Truth & Knowledge
By Mary Jeppson
Several years ago in my hometown, I belonged to an organization in which a family (mother, father & daughter) were the driving force behind this clown group. They each dedicated a lot of time and energy for the success of the group. The first week of August we celebrate National Clown Week. That year I contacted an acquaintance who was a reporter at the local newspaper to inquire if a story could be written about this family and their contributions to our group as well as the community. I was excited when I was notified they would do the story.
When the paper published the story about the family and our clown group there were several photos with the article. As I looked over the pictures, I realized there were pictures of clowns who were not a part of our group. I had never seen them before and knew nothing about them. This really disturbed me. I contacted the reporter and voiced my disappointment. I have never forgotten what the reporter said to me - “the public won’t KNOW the difference.” I was stunned. Oh, I know, it was an article about a group of clowns. What’s the big deal? The big deal was…it wasn’t the TRUTH.
Today, we are exposed to volumes of information through the mass media. How do we determine what is the truth? Truth is defined in the Catholic Dictionary as “conformity of mind and reality. Three kinds of conformity give rise to three kinds of truth. In logical truth, the mind is conformed or in agreement with things outside the mind, either in assenting to what is or in denying what is not. Its opposite is error. In metaphysical or ontological truth, things conform with the mind. This is primary conformity, when something corresponds to the idea of its maker, and it is secondary conformity when something is intelligible and therefore true to anyone who knows it. In moral truth, what is said conforms with what is on one’s mind. This is truthfulness and its opposite is falsehood.”
The best way we can find the truth is through knowledge. Learning about our Catholic faith we can better defend our faith when it is being defamed or misrepresented. To find truth study the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, listen to Relevant Radio 92.9 FM, watch the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN cable channel 19), visit the following websites:
Relevant Radio- www.relevantradio.com
U.S. Bishops: www.usccb.org
the Diocese of La Crosse: www.dioceseoflacrosse.com
EWTN – www.ewtn.com
Catholic Come Home – www.catholiccomehome.org
Join the group of people who gather on Sunday evening once a month for the Catholicism 101: Essentials For The Journey program. The next one is May 17th and the topic is “Prayer: Let’s Communicate” and visit our library at St. Therese.
“Truth or truthfulness is the virtue which consists in showing oneself true in deeds and truthful in words, and guarding against duplicity, dissimulation, and hypocrisy.” (CCC 2505) In our own way, we’re all looking for the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Knowledge and prayer will help us find it.
God could not be everywhere, so He created mothers