Sanctifying, or Habitual, Grace The word sanctify, meaning “to make sacred,” has a similar root word in Latin as the word saint and refers to holiness as a state of being in the human soul. Sanctifying grace is imparted to us first through the Sacrament of Baptism and produces in us a permanent condition in which we are pleasing to God as God’s children. Through the state of sanctifying grace, we participate in God’s divine spirituality. The Catholic Church teaches that without this grace, we cannot achieve this participation in God’s spirituality. Our sanctified soul predisposes us to live in goodness in God’s eyes and to follow God’s Law. This predisposition becomes a condition of our character, or in Latin, habitus. Sanctifying grace, then, as it refers to our God-given inclination and capacity for good, is sometimes called God’s gift of grace to us, his children, is unique and special. It cannot be bought, bargained for, traded for, or even earned by a particular number of good deeds. God alone bestows the gift of grace freely and unconditionally, because God gives this gift out of abundant love for us. Grace is without limit and without quantity. Imagine a candle receiving a flame from another lit candle. The first flame is not diminished, and yet now there is twice the light and twice the warmth. Although grace is not ours to give, we may certainly wish God’s grace on other people. Saint Paul wishes God’s grace and peace to the Philippians, the Ephesians, and the Galatians: “ grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:2)
Defi n e
a l g race, g race, ac tu g race, sa nc ti fy ing ce ha bit ua l g ra
er Rememb
eely e is a g if t, fr God’s g rac W it h . not e a r ne d g iven a nd h is love e we live in c ra g ’s d o G ou t ou r ecision s a b d e k a m d do an l lead u s to il w t a th s n ac tio d. what is goo
Past: Saint Ignatius of Loyo la wa s born in Spain in 1491. A noblema n who became a soldier, his life ch anged when he wa s injured in battle and bega n to read the Bible and ab out the lives of sai nts. He became a priest and fou nded a rel igiou s ord er cal led the Society of Jesus (th e Jesuits). One of his greatest con tribution s to Catholicism is a book he wrote cal led the Spirit ua l Ex ercises, wh ich includes a specia l pra yer. Th rough the prayer a person de dicates all of him sel f or herself to Go d. The prayer ask s to use all of one’s talents to do wh at God wi lls. It ask s that God give his love and grace becau se tha t is all a person wa nts in life. God’s lov e and grace are enough .
Explore
habitual grace.
Past Meets Present
Pr esen t: Matt Maher is on
critically acclai med Ca tod ay. He ha s received and young people esp vibrant mu sic speak s
Is Enough ,” is included
gs, “You r Grace
Beaut ifu l . Sai nt Ign atius wit h the same ph rase
severa l aw ard s,
ecial ly find that his to the heart. One
of his most popu lar son
grace is enough , and
e of the most tholic mu sician s
on Empty and
knew that God’s Matt Ma her’s song
gives us the ch ance to pray it and sing it at the same t ime.
Session 4 > Jesus Calls Us to Say Yes
31