Grace can be described in a general way as a free gift of God that assists us (or others) in our spiritual well being. The Catechism defines it as “first and foremost, the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church,” (CCC 2003).
Grace is subdivided, then, into many different categories. Some kinds of grace assist us in growing in holiness or participation in the Divine Life. Other graces are special gifts that aren’t necessary, but help us and others to grow in holiness in an indirect way. Many great theologians and spiritual authors have made this distinction, and they generally use the terms: Gratia gratum faciens, (grace making pleasing), and gratia gratis datae (grace freely given). Here we will demonstrate this distinction in several authors’ work.
No comments:
Post a Comment