Irondequoit Catholic Communities
Grace

Celebrating 100 years

A biblical and theological term used in a wide variety of ways. According to Catholic teaching, grace is a supernatural gift of God bestowed upon a person with a view to salvation and sanctification. Understood in this sense, there are three kinds of grace: (1) uncreated grace refers to the abiding presence of the Holy Trinity in the souls of the just; (2) created or sanctifying grace is a created sharing or participation in the life of God himself; (3) actual grace is a transient help of God that enlightens the mind and strengthens the will to do good and avoid evil. Grace is given to human beings through the merits of Jesus Christ and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. The principal means of growing in grace are prayer, the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), and good works. Sanctifying grace is lost by the commission of mortal (grave, serious) sin.

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Page last modified on October 13, 2007, at 06:19 PM