Grace

You ask, "What is Grace?"  I found a good response in today's CIY podcast from the youth pastor who hails from Duluth, Minnesota.  This pastor talks of two kinds of Grace, habitual and actual.  

The best way I can share today is to quote from the podcast I listened to before writing today's message.  Here goes...

Sanctifying grace is a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love.

Habitual grace is the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God's call.

Actual grace is an answer to a specific prayer.  Actual grace is God's intervention in our lives.  It's an answer to a specific need we have where Divine assistance is necessary.

St. Augustine tells us, "Without God's grace we can do nothing."

Think of grace as God's favor.  Think of it as something God gives you to help you get closer to him.  We don't deserve this gift.  We don't earn it.  God gives us grace because that's how much he loves us.  He wants us to be his children.  

It's our choice to accept God's grace.  Actual grace is like an infusion of everything we need to become a new creation.  Once infused with the Holy Spirit, it's up to us to follow God's plan every moment of every day.  Amazing things happen when we live in cooperation with God's desires.

Ask for the gift of grace today.  You will begin to see the world around you as God sees the world.  You will see yourself as God sees you.  You will see your call as an invitation to be closer to God.  You will never be afraid to share God's love with your family, your friends, and even your enemies.  Have a great day.