The herald., 1897-08-23
AT THE CATHEDRAL
Father McAuliffe's Sermon on "The
Grace Of God''

Grace Of God"
Father McAuliffe preached yesterday
morning in the Cathedral st. Vibiana
from the text, by the grace of God I
am what am; and His grace in me hath
not been void" First Cor. XIV. 10. In
this short text St. Peter puts before US
lesson which bears directly on the
question Of our salvation, l. e., the neces-
sity and the efficacy Of grace. What is
the grace Of which the apostle speaks?
1t is a supernatural gift of God not at
all due to us. A divine quality COM
municated by God to the soul, which
cleanses her from all the stains Of sin
and renders her beautiful and agreeable
in the eyes Of God. 1t is also a divine
help, which excites US and enables us to
do good and avoid evil. Grace renders
the soul beautiful. AS iron loses It's
blackness and ugliness by fire and Is
also made capable of being formed into
any shape, in like manner the soul in the
state of sin is ugly and hateful to God.
But where God communicates His grace
to the soul she becomes just and beauti-
in obedience to him. Grace also excites
lis and enables US to avoid evil and do
good.
This help or grace Jesus Christ has
merited for us by his precious blood, and
we may say that 1t flows from his sacred
wounds as from so many inexhaustible
fountains. This grace is so necessary
that without 1t we cannot do anything
towards our salvation. 1t is the air, the
most necessary condition of our soul 8
life. 1t is a spiritual principle which is,
to the world of souls, what light, heat,
sap and life are in the world of bodies
and visible nature. AS the life hidden in
seed is the principle of all it's growth
and Of the fruits which 1t yields; as the
life circulating in the members of an
animals body is the principle of its
beauty and fecundity-so grace, diffused
throughout the body Of the church and
its members, that is to say in our souls
Is the invisible principle of our activity,
Of our vitality, of our spiritual beauty.
1t is necessary for justification. Man
can sin, but he cannot blot out sin. A
sinner cannot by his own strength re-
pent of his sins as he ought, unless he
receive the grace of repentance from
the mercy of God. mo man can come
to me except the Father who sent me
draw him." And again, by grace you
are saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves, for it is the gift of God"
However great the deeds man may per-
form, he will never reach God without
being lifted up by his hand.
Grace is necessary to lead a Christian
life. Our hereditary concupiscence at
tracts sin, which we cannot escape, ex-
cept by Gods help. Grace is necessary
in order to perform meritorious acts for
heaven. AS the tree, so the fruit; as
man, so his works. To be meritorious
they must proceed from a heart sancti-
fled by grace. They must be gilded with
the gold of Christ's merits. Truly in
Hmm Gods grace-we live, we move,
we are.
Divine grace is efficacious and proves
its efficiency by overcoming every diff
Guilty. By grace the just man perse-
veres in the midst of a wicked world
Therefore trust in divine grace, in God
who is able to establish you. Entertain
firm hope, for grace is given to every
one in sufficient measure as is manifest
from Gods nature; his sanctity, kind
ness and justice; for he will do what is
good, will lead man to salvation, does not
require what is impossible. Grace is
absolutely necessary; acknowledge it's
value by being grateful in your heart
and not losing it. God takes away His
Jesus, leaves Judea and resides In
Samaria. Passiveness is not suffi-
cient. Struggle. the grace Is your
shield Co forward, II is vour staff Tjft
yourself up, it is the wing.