What Is Grace, Anyway?

Let’s break it down!

To answer this question, we first need to understand that, according to Catholic Tradition and teaching, there are two types of grace: Sanctifying Grace and Actual Grace.

Let’s begin with Sanctifying Grace since that one technically happens first.

To sanctify means to be made holy. And the word grace is defined as the free and undeserved gift from God.

I once had a dear Protestant friend tell me that she had never seen an infant baptism and asked me what it was like. At the time, I didn’t know how to answer her — I thought all babies were baptized.

However, I now understand that the primary difference between the Catholic understanding of Baptism and the Protestant understanding lies in the supernatural change that occurs during the sacrament.

All human beings are born in the image and likeness of God, but because of the Fall (Adam and Eve in the Garden, the apple … you may be familiar with the story), we are born with original sin.

This sin is not of our doing, but is actually Adam and Eve’s fault! Because they are our ancestors, we are born with sin.

And this is exactly why Catholics baptize infants! During the sacrament of Baptism, sin is literally wiped away. Further, the infant is infused with Sanctifying Grace.

This supernatural transformation of the infant’s soul makes him or her a child of God, which will then provide him or her with the foundation to receive Actual Grace as he grows in age and wisdom.

Which leads us to the second type of grace that occurs in a child of God, or a Baptized person — Actual Grace.

Have you ever felt that nudge to push you to do something outside your comfort zone to benefit someone else?

Maybe you’re in a hurry and notice a little elderly woman struggling to put groceries in her car. Though it may make you late, you decide to stop to help the woman. Something inside of you urges you to put your own needs aside and put those of someone else first.

Maybe you’re drinking your coffee in the morning, and instead of scrolling Facebook, you feel a strong desire to say a prayer for someone in need.

These are examples of God’s grace working inside of you — also known as Actual Grace. It comes from outside of you (God) and causes you to act in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Sources

https://www.catholic.com/tract/grace-what-it-is-and-what-it-does

What My 10-Year-Old Taught Me About God's Mercy

In light of the recent tragedies over the past few weeks, there have been lots of conversations happening in our home. Hearts are heavy, and we’re left wondering where to go from here.

Particularly, we’re left wondering what we can do as Catholics, as Christians.

I’ve pondered this question. My husband and I have talked with our children about it. We know the world is broken and full of sin. We’ve discussed how evil can infiltrate hearts and minds over time and through various means.

But it was a question from my youngest that completely opened my eyes to a key aspect of our faith that I had almost forgotten.

He had just come in from playing outside. He plopped down on the couch as I walked around tidying up the house. Conversation surrounding current events had become commonplace over the last few weeks, and they were happening even while I tended to household chores.

I can’t remember what preceded his question now, just the question itself that will forever be etched on my heart.

He looked up at me with his big, blue eyes and asked, “What will happen to the man who killed Charlie Kirk?”

Without hesitation (and to my embarrassment), I replied, “He’s going to Hell.”

See, I had heard talk of authorities pursuing the death penalty. I had seen people I respected calling for the death penalty. I was so hurt by the evil that this man had done that I almost subconsciously went along with the world and assumed his fate.

It was my 10-year-old son’s response that changed my heart and reminded me of what I knew but had so quickly forgotten.

He said, “You don’t know that, Mom.”

I stopped in my tracks. I put the kitchen towel down on the coffee table and sat next to him, asking him to explain.

He went on to tell me how his teacher had shared with him and his classmates a story of two great saints, Maria Goretti and Alessandro Serenelli. He told me how Alessandro had killed the innocent, 11-year-old Maria, but that before she died, she forgave her killer and expressed that she wanted him in Heaven with her forever.

After Maria’s death, Alessandro went on to serve a 30-year sentence. One night, six years into his prison sentence, Maria appeared to Alessandro in a dream. She appeared in a garden, picking 14 white lilies, and handed them to him one by one. This gesture of love and forgiveness was the beginning of Alessandro’s transformation and conversion.

His behavior became so docile, and his transformation was so dramatic, that he was released three years early. Shortly after his release, he sought out and received the forgiveness of Maria’s mother. He eventually joined the Capuchin Franciscans and, as a lay brother, worked as a gardener, porter, and general laborer. He died in the peace of Christ, with the love and admiration of those who knew him, at the Cappuchin convent at Macerata, Italy, on May 6, 1970 (mariagoretti.com).

It wasn’t that I didn’t know the power of repentance and of God’s love and mercy. It wasn’t that I didn’t know that there is hope for all souls who repent and radically reorient their lives to Jesus Christ.

It was that I had been so focused on worldly things that I had forgotten.

But praise God, it was the childlike faith of my fifth-grader that refreshed my soul and fixed my eyes back on Christ and His redeeming love.

It was his teacher who taught a lesson with the love of Christ, which poured into my son’s soul and, therefore, my soul.

It was the Body of Christ at work.

So, it leads me back to my original question: where do we go from here?

My answer?

We pray. We pray like we believe. We pray like we know its power. We pray for the souls of the innocent. And we pray for the souls of the wicked. We pray for conversions.

We love our enemies. We forgive like Jesus did on the cross. And we keep sharing stories of His love and mercy.

“Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:40–43)

SOURCES

mariagoretti.com