Grace, its forms, its applications, and its effects

 

What is Grace? What are the different categories of Grace? What is Grace's Goal:

Actual grace is a temporary and need-based gift to allow us to follow God’s will in difficult circumstances and/or to act toward resolute conversion.[1]

Sacramental grace is grace proper to the sacrament: it accomplishes the given sacrament and offers the divine assistance needed to fulfill the sacrament and complete the particular aspects of the sacrament.[2] For instance, the grace bequeathed to the couple in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony both completes the ontological change and assists the couple in living out the married life, living in charity, raising children, etc. The Eucharistic sacrifice is thereby the source of Christian vitality.[3] Its reception may be contingent on actual grace.

Sanctifying grace is an inveterate gift that transforms the soul to live with God. Sanctifying grace is offered to every Christian. It is first received as the sacramental grace of Baptism. Sanctifying grace is fundamental, allows us to perpetually receive God’s invitations, and actualize His call(s).[4] Its reception may be contingent upon either or both actual and sacramental grace.

Special graces, also known as charisms, are oriented towards and derived from sanctifying grace.[5] These graces are contingent upon the reception of the other three classifications of grace. Charisms are bestowed to help the Church grow and are thus subject to be used at the pleasure of divine and ecclesial authority.[6]

The substance of grace is free and unmerited gifts that allow us and/or draw us toward participation in the kingdom of Heaven.[7] This definition is the essential property of all which the Church refers to grace because all God’s gifts have the same goal.[8] This goal is the completion of the mission of the Our Lord and the Holy Spirit.[9]

What is the relationship between the Christian and the Church?:

The Christian has a very intimate relationship with the Church. Via the sacraments, we share in one spirit.[10] We, through the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), become the Body of Christ, the Church.[11] It is through the Church that we are given this life with and in Christ. Thereby, it is through the Church (as a means of God’s action) that we receive what is necessary for the reception of grace and are lead down the most certain path to salvation.[12] We refer to the Church as Mother because it is by her sacraments, teachings, cautions, and recommendations which are readily given, that we can be assured safe and sure passage into heaven.[13] Ipso facto, “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” which means “apart from the Church there is no salvation”.[14] Though the statement seems very assertive, it means that the Church knows of no other dependable means of salvation. That is why it is relevant and important to the conversation of grace.

What is the relationship between faith and reason? Why is it so important to know? What does Christ have to do with this relationship and the effects of grace?:

The conversation of faith and reason is also very relevant to the conversation of grace. Faith is to reason as grace is to the human. Reason limits itself to what is known by self.15 Faith introduces to the person a new and much larger understanding of reality. Faith frees a person to consider that one’s intellect is not capable of understanding the fullness of reality and at the same time proposes a path to knowing it.[16] The refusal of faith’s propositions is both an assertion that one knows everything there is to know about reality and also closes the soul to the reception of anything God offers. This refusal seems to comes from a stubborn assertion that originated in ancient Greece.[17] Simply, as soon as philosophers discovered that the universe was intelligible, they then thought that the way they had interpreted reality was simply specious. However, there remained some who were astonished at the order and mechanical structure of reality which hinted towards a transcendent metaphysical reality.[18] This encapsulates the relationship between faith and reason. Faith does not oppose knowledge in any way it is attained, and it does not/cannot contradict reality.[19] Rather it adds to the knowledge but doesn’t assert itself with aggression. Faith, like grace, dialogues with the person. It doesn’t force its recipient but invites and rewards one who remains open to truth.

This relationship is most apparent and clarified through Christ, Who is the very convergence between the divine and human realities. If we presume that He was not human and only divine, we are moved to seek escape from material realities and deny reason. If we find He was not fully divine, we lose faith entirely. Without Christ or without our firm foundation upon Him we lose our footing.[20] It is through the lens of Christ which teachings on grace and faith are visible to the theologian.

FN:

1 Pohle, Joseph. "Actual Grace." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909) https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689x.htm

2 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000); 2003, 2023-4.

3 CCC, 1324.

4 CCC, 2000.

5 CCC, 1972, cf. 2003.

6 CCC, 798,800-1

7 CCC, 1996-7; The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org, cf. Luke 18.

8 Cf. Romans 12:28; cf. CCC, 227, 302-3, 2003

9 CCC, 257, 2001

10 Romans 12:5

11 CCC, 460

12 CCC, 2032,2040

13 CCC, 2032-9

14 CCC, 846-848

15 CCC, Cf. 1936

16 CCC, 34-6

17 CCC, Cf. 37

18 CCC, 32

19 CCC, 35

20 CCC, 424