Grace

Humans were disgraced with Adam and Eve and regained its sanctified grace through Jesus Christ. As a result, “grace can not be accepted or rejected” (Himes Track7). It is something one has intertwined in their soul; sanctifying grace is the type of grace that God assimilated into our souls. . We are all blessed with His grace and Himes describes grace as: When God chooses to give God self away outside the Trinity it is called grace (Himes). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Catholicism describes how the “Catholic Church believes in both grace (the gift of God’s presence in our life) and our own good nature” (CIGTUC p7). I like Being Catholic further states that “Grace is everywhere. All is grace! Catholicism affirms life, affirms flesh, affirms pleasure, affirms art and music, affirms a God who is present in the object and events and persons of daily life” (ILBC p4-5). “Divinity is everywhere and in everything… ILBC p9).

Himes describes grace as the underlining factor of nature; as your palm underlies the back of your hand. The two entities are not considered separately but just your hand. You can not separate the two (grace and nature). In fact, in our daily lives we are not to distinguish between our sacred and our secular life. As I work in the ministries in our parish, I use the water and oil analogy. Water and oil do not mix. Hence, the hesitation to keep the two perspectives separate.

God will send us a temporary edification described as actual grace to help strengthen our minds, our hearts and most importantly our souls. This in turn is the presence of the Holy Spirit. You have a decision or will to not to cooperate with the actual grace. An example that I use in speaking with the ministries is: Mass has just ended and you are pulling out of the Church’s parking lot. You are become frustrated at the person who is requesting to cut you off and you react un-wholly… The sanctifying grace brought you to mass but your will to disregard your actual grace lead you to become frustrated in the parking lot. It is ultimately your choice. You must discern all that God has placed in front of you – every actual grace that God sends your way will help strengthen the sanctifying grace of your soul…