Truth vs. Confusion

In our efforts to live a devout life, it is essential that we come to know and understand truth. There is only one truth, and that is God. In order to know the truth, we must know Jesus. He tells us, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me". - John 14:6

The truth can be difficult to accept. It requires us to drop our pride. It requires us to come to terms with our sins. It is in this realization that we embark upon a journey that leads us to the fulfillment of our mission: to know, love and serve God. The fulfillment of our mission is what makes us good, just as anything that fulfills its purpose is good. A glass of water that quenches thirst is good. Shoes that protect our feet are good. So, too are we good when we are in conformity with Christ's plan for us.

There is so much confusion abounding that it can be difficult to recognize the truth. The motive of the evil one is to spread confusion and dissent regarding what is good. Think about all the confusion that he has brought upon us. People are confused about what constitutes human life, what marriage is, whether there is a God, and whether there is even a devil. His greatest accomplishment is convincing us that he doesn't exist! How can we guard against something that we don't believe exists? Think about the glamorized version of evil that is presented to us daily in movies, television, and music. How can those without a proper moral compass traverse the seas of confusion?

Consider this quote from the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium Et Spes):

"For when the order of values is jumbled and bad is mixed with the good, individuals and groups pay heed solely to their own interests, and not to those of others. Thus it happens that the world ceases to be a place of true brotherhood."

We must submit to the authority of the Magisterium. The Pope sits upon the Chair of Peter and exercises the infallible power that was promised to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19, "And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

These words assure us that the teachings of the Magisterium are free of doctrinal error. We can come to know the truth by submitting to these teachings. It is natural to have doubts about certain issues, but in studying the reasons behind the Church's teachings, we see that "In this regard, it must be remembered that the ensemble of truths entrusted to the ministry of the Church's preaching constitutes a unitary whole, a kind of symphony, as it were, in which each truth is harmoniously integrated with the others". - Truth in the Magisterium

It is only with the help of grace that we can recognize sin and overcome confusion. It is otherwise natural for us to sin because original sin inclines us toward evil. So the question arises, how do we acquire grace? The answer is simple: prayer and the sacraments. Go to confession and receive the Eucharist. We must prepare a place for Jesus in our hearts. Then we must invite Him in. When Christ dwells in us, the battle has already been won.

Want to learn the Truth? You can read it here:
Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults