The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-02-19
DIVINE GRACE.

Our little catechism tells us that the
two principal channels of grace, by
which the fruits of the Redemption
are applied to our souls, are the Sac
raments and prayer says the Brook
Ign Tablet" Before considering in
detail these great mediums of Gods
divine assistance which He gives His
creatures, it is necessary that we
should have some idea of what grace
is. We may define grace as "a gift
necessary for our salvation and sane
tification, which God freely bestows
upon the souls of men for the sake of
the merits of Jesus Christ, Who earned
| it for them by His death upon the
| cross" Grace, then, is a supernatural
gift-a free gift of God, in no way be-
| longing to man, in whom there is
nothing that demands its bestowal.
| This definition will suffice for us to
form some concept of this wonderful
and inexplicable help which the Crea-
tor deigns to confer upon us and with
out which we can neither sanctify nor
save our souls. We say some con-
| cept," for grace, though real, is
nevertheless of the spiritual order, and
cannot be perceived by our human
senses. We are unable to see, feel,
hear or touch it. 1t is a quality or
property conferred upon the soul and
| is invisible, even as the soul to which
it is impaired. Though we cannot de-
tect the difference, yet in the eyes of
God theEe is whole worldsof differ
eIce between a soul in possession of
divine grace and one that is bereft of
| it.
/ Divine grace, then, is help or as
| sistance which man receives from God.
There are two principal kinds of
| grace. The first, which we call Sane
tifying Grace, is that which places the
soul in a state of holiness. We shall
understand it better by considering its
effects, the chief of which is to make
us the adopted sons of God, condition
which is, by nature, in no way ours.
| To illustrate: A rich man TescueS a
street-arab from the slums and adopts
4 hinl-that is, he takes the boy home,
makes him like his own son, educates
him and puts him on sort of equal
ity with the rest of the family The
urchin had no right to such a favor.
| His condition Of life had placed it
1 quite beyond his reach to become a
| gentleman's son, with the prospect of
| inheriting portion OF a rich mans
| estate. By nature, we are servants and
| slaves. We have no claim to adoption
by God: to be treated as His sons, to
be made brothers of Jesus Christ, and
cO-heirs with Him to the Kingdom of
Heaven. 1t is Sanctifying Grace that
/ thus eleyates us to a supernatural
plane of existence and makes it posi-
bic Tor us to secure supernatural re-
ward, endless union with God in Heav-
en-. When we say man is in the state
OF grace, we mean that his soul enjoys
the precious gift of Sanctifying Grace,
which makes him an adopted son of
Cod And this grace can and should
be increased by our good works, that
| we may become ever more and more
closely united to God, our Father;
and that we may more perfectly re-
semble Jesus Christ, Whose brothers
we are by adoption Sanctifying
Grace is often likened TO a garment or
robe of purity, by which the soul is
made holy and pleasing to God
Sanctifying Grace places us in a
permanent or habituaI state of holt
ness, and i'll this respect differs from
Actual Grace, which we may define
as passing impulse, or an occasional
help vouchsafed to the soul in its
various spiritual needs. Sanctifying
i Grace is never lost to the soul as
long as the soul keeps itself free from
deliberate, mortal sin. Actual Grace
is not so much a condition or state of
soul as temporary help sent us by
i God to aid us in resisting temptation.
or accomplishing difficult spiritual
/ work. An illustration will make it
easier for us to grasp this difference
| between these two kinds of graces.
For example, one may be severely
tempted against the virtue of purity,
honesty or charity. A good thought.
a few sentences read from a pious
book, or something heard in a SER
mon comes into the mind of the one
tempted and the temptation is resisted
and overcome. Now, that thought or
word was an actual grace, granted by
God in answer to prayer, or as re-
ward for good action -of the past:
and by that actual grace the soul IS
saved from becoming stained with a
mortal sin, which would rob it of its
possession of Sanctifying Grace. And
sad though it is TO say it. we can re-
sist those helps of God We can neg.
i lect to take advantage of the almost
| countless means of meriting and Sc
curing them. And If we do refnee