God's Glorious Gift of Grace

Prison Ministry - Year of Grace 2014

On the bulletin board in the old school building at church, I saw a poster on which these words were written “Year of Grace 2014.” It made me start to think about Grace, how good it is that God gives us Grace and how much God loves us. I thought about how extremely important Grace is to us, so I decided to talk to you about the holy gift of Grace.

I asked myself, “What do I remember about Grace from catechism class when I was in school?”

What is Grace? A gift from God.

Why do we need Grace? To get to heaven.

Can we lose all our Grace? When we commit a mortal sin, we lose the Sanctifying grace we received when we were baptized and the Sanctifying grace we receive from all the other Sacraments.

Why is Sanctifying grace so important? If we are not in the State of Grace when we die, we can’t go to heaven. When we commit a mortal sin, we are no longer in the State of Grace.

How can we get back in the State of Grace? We can get back in the State of Grace by confessing our mortal sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation* and by sincerely praying the Act of Contrition. Next, the priest absolves us of our sins and gives us a penance to do. After completing the penance, God returns us to the State of Grace.

I thought maybe this is all we need to know about Grace. It sounds pretty simple, but I wasn’t satisfied. Isn’t this a very serious thing? Shouldn’t we understand everything about Grace instead of risking our souls? So I got busy and started reading. I checked out the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Too wordy. I looked up the Baltimore Catechism, probably the same one I was taught from in school years ago. I heard Readings from Mass that related to what I wanted to talk about. A reading from the Book of Sirach really seemed to fit. I found a great quote on Sanctifying grace from St. Joan of Arc. I put it all together.

Baltimore Catechism:

109. What is grace?

Grace is a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us through the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation.

And of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:16-17)

110. How many kinds of Grace are there?

There are two kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace.

111. What is Sanctifying grace?

Sanctifying grace is that grace which confers on our souls a new life, that is, a sharing in the life of God Himself.

But to as many as received him he gave the power of becoming sons of God. (John 1:12)

112. What are the chief effects of Sanctifying grace?

The chief effects of sanctifying grace are:

1. it makes us holy and pleasing to God;

2. it makes us adopted children of God;

3. it makes us temples of the Holy Ghost;

4. it gives us the right to heaven.

Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

113. What is Actual grace?

Actual grace is a supernatural help of God which enlightens our mind and strengthens our will to do good and to avoid evil.

For it is God who of his good pleasure works in you both the will and the performance. (Philippians 2:13)

114. Can we resist the grace of God?

We can resist the grace of God, for our will is free, and God does not force us to accept His grace.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often I would have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but thou wouldst not! (Matthew 23:37)

115. Why is Sanctifying grace necessary for salvation?

Sanctifying grace is necessary for salvation because it is the supernatural life, which alone enables us to attain the supernatural happiness of heaven.

116. Is Actual grace necessary for all who have attained the use of reason?

Actual grace is necessary for all who have attained the use of reason, because without it we cannot long resist the power of temptation or perform other actions which merit a reward in heaven.

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything, as from ourselves but our sufficiency is from God. (II Corinthians 3:5)

117. What are the principal ways of obtaining Grace?

The principal ways of obtaining grace are prayer and the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist.

For we were buried with him by means of Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ has arisen from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we may also walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)

118. How can we make our most ordinary actions merit a heavenly reward?

We can make our most ordinary actions merit a heavenly reward by doing them for the love of God and by keeping ourselves in the state of grace.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do all for the glory of God. (I Corinthians 10:31)**

When God gives us Actual grace He is reminding us to do the right thing. Sometimes we ignore the actual grace God gives us by making up our own rules.

If we’ve been baptized and have committed no mortal sins, we are in the State of Grace. Mortal sin takes away our Sanctifying grace.

Remember a mortal sin is deadly. When we commit mortal sins, we turn away from God. This turning away from God is in conflict with our sanctification, so we lose our Sanctifying grace. But as I said earlier, we can get back in the State of Grace by going to Confession. I hope all of you realize how important it is to stay in the State of Grace and the best way to do this is not to commit a mortal sin. Committing a mortal sin is just too risky!

When St. Joan of Arc was on trial for being a witch. She was asked if she was in God’s Grace. This was her answer. “If I am not may it please God to put me in it; if I am may it please God to keep me there.”

St. Paul tells us to, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world.” Philippians 2:12-15

We can ignore God’s Grace and make up our own rules, or we can pay attention to the Grace God gives us. Every day we should ask God to give us Actual grace to help us do His will.

For years, I made up my own rules, but I turned my life around and started to go to Mass regularly again and to receive the Sacraments. I thought things were fine when one day, all of a sudden, I realized that I had a lot of unconfessed sins. I never confessed these sins because I convinced myself they weren’t really sins. Now God was letting me see all my past sins. This happens when we get close to God. God wanted me to remove all obstacles that would keep me from getting as close to Him as possible. I thank God for giving me the grace to see these sins as they were.

When I told Father I needed to go to Confession very soon and explained why, he told me what I needed was to make a whole life confession. This might have been too hard for me to do if God hadn’t given me the Grace to see my sins and the Grace to want to confess them.

I hadn’t committed murder. I wasn’t a prostitute or a drug dealer. These obvious sins would have been impossible to deny. I had committed the kind of sins I could deny or tell myself it was okay, no big deal. The more I thought about it the more I realized I had been deceiving myself and putting my soul at risk of losing eternal life forever. What a scary thought!

Now that I confessed the sins of my whole life, I’m by the book. Being by the book makes me unpopular at times, but that’s okay. It’s worth it. I depend on the mercy of God. Obeying God’s Commandments goes along with having complete trust in God. Because Jesus died for me, I’m able to have my sins forgiven. I trust Jesus completely. No more making up my own rules.

Sirach 15:15-20

If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.

He has placed before you fire and water; stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.

Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given.

For great is the wisdom of the Lord; he is mighty in power and sees everything; his eyes are on those who fear him, and he knows every human action.

He has not commanded anyone to be wicked, and he has not given anyone permission to sin.

I choose Heaven and I hope you do too.

I’m still a sinne,r but with God’s help, I will go to heaven. Holiness and goodness is a lifelong process. The more Sanctifying grace we have, the easier and easier it becomes not to sin. I believe this with all my heart. Our supernatural life starts now with Sanctifying grace. I want to go to heaven. This is my whole purpose, my whole goal in life and I hope it is you’re as well.

God bless you!

* http://ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/GUIDEPEN.HTM

** http://www.catholicity.com/baltimore-catechism/lesson09.html