God’s grace: Do we need it? How do we obtain and preserve it?
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Do we need grace in our lives? To be saved and go to heaven we need to believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, sincerely and deeply repent for our sins, be baptized, and be in a state of grace at the moment of death. Grace is essential for our salvation. The path to holiness is daunting. When Jesus said “Be perfect, as my father is perfect” in the Gospel of Matthew, he gave us a very high standard to follow. But our loving God is helping us along the way, and not just by giving us advice through Scripture, but by pouring his divine love into our souls, by sharing his grace with us. Grace is an undeserved gift of God, who wants us to fully live as his children and to take part of his nature and love. Grace allows us to have an intimate relationship with the Holy Trinity, to fully participate in life with God, and to selflessly express that love for him and others.
While grace is a gift, we collaborate with God in its attaintment, increase, and preservation. How do we get grace to begin with? Theologians have defined two primary categories of grace: sanctifying grace and actual graces. We receive sanctifying grace through the sacrament of Baptism. During Baptism the Holy Spirit infuses grace into our soul, cleans us from our sins, and sanctifies our soul. We experience new birth in the Holy Spirit (we are born again).
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
Sanctifying grace, also called habitual grace, takes residence within our soul and perfects it so that we can more easily be one with Jesus, surrender our lives to God’s will, and selflessly express God’s love in service of others. In other words, grace enables our journey to holiness. Through sanctifying grace the Holy Spirit also gives us gifts such as wisdom, understanding, and fortitude and charisms or favors such as prophecy, tongues, and healing, according to our vocation; all to be used in humility for the service of others.
“Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. With justification faith, hope, and charity are poured into our heart, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) #s 1991 & 1992)
We collaborate with God to reinforce grace when we receive sacraments, grow in love through prayer, and perform good works. “Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ, preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage until the moment of death.” (CCC 1392) Despite this grace, in our human weakness we may commit grave sins and lose sanctifying grace, but all is not lost. If with a contrite heart we repent and receive the sacrament of Penance, we can then renew our union with God and recover the sanctifying grace. Additionally, the sacrament of Confirmation strengthens grace even more and increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as knowledge, courage, and piety.
“But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 john 1:7-9
Actual graces, on the other hand, are the temporary ways in which God helps us become closer to him and increase our sanctifying grace. Actual graces are like nudges from God that help us understand the behaviors that we need to eliminate because they distract us or separate us from God, and they empower our mind and will to do the things that will bring us closer to God’s love. We may feel a strong and joyful desire to pray more and read the Bible, to go to confession, or to perform good works. Likewise, we may feel a strong repulsion for the things that take us away from Jesus. This is actual graces at work. We have free will and may choose to not listen to God’s loving whispers, but if we do listen, these acts of divine love strengthen our sanctifying grace and over time make it easier to mature in our journey to holiness. We can then stay in a state of grace where we are not only avoiding committing grave sins, but through a life of prayer, participation in sacraments, and following God’s will, we are living in the presence of God, “walking humbly with God”, and living our divine nature, which is selfless love. All thanks to God’s gift of grace.
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I am found
Was blind, but now I see”
References from the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs: 1262, 1446, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2013, 2021, and 2023; and Catholic Dictionary, page 681.
