XX. OF THE EXTERNAL PRINCIPLE WHICH HELPS MAN TO PRACTISE GOOD ACTS; OR OF GRACE
Is law a sufficient guide for man to live a virtuous life and to avoid the contrary life of sin?
No, the help of grace is also necessary (CIX., CXIV.).
What is meant by grace?
By grace is meant a special help from God that assists him to do good and to avoid evil.
Is this special help from God always necessary for man?
Yes.
Is not man of himself ever able to do any good thing or to avoid any bad thing?
Yes, of himself, that is relying on the principle of his nature given to him by God, and upon the other natural helps around him, man can accomplish certain good acts and avoid certain evil acts even in the moral order or in the domain of virtue; but if God by His grace does not heal human nature which was wounded by sin, man would never be able to accomplish even in the order of natural virtue all the good required of him or to avoid all evil; moreover, in the order of supernatural virtue or as regards the good life that is to win heaven, man by his sole nature, without grace, can do absolutely nothing (CIX. 1-10).
What does this grace of the supernatural order imply?
This grace of the supernatural order implies two things: a supernatural state of soul, and supernatural motions of the Holy Spirit (CIX. 6).
What is meant by this supernatural state of soul?
By this is meant certain qualities introduced and preserved therein by God which in a sense make the very being and faculties of man divine (CX. 1-4).
What is the fundamental quality which makes man's very being divine?
It is called habitual or sanctifying grace (CX. 1, 2, 4).
What are the supernatural qualities which divinize man's faculties?
They are the virtues and the gifts
Are the virtues and the gifts associated with habitual or sanctifying grace?
Yes, the virtues and the gifts are associated with habitual or sanctifying grace in such wise that they issue from this grace which can never exist in the soul unless they also exist in the faculties.
Are this grace, and these virtues and gifts, which sanctify the soul and its faculties something very estimable?
Yes, for they make man a child of God, and give him the power to act as such.
Is man, endowed with grace and the accompanying virtues and gifts, more perfect than the whole created world in the order of nature?
Yes, he is more perfect even than the angels if we consider them in their nature only
There is then nothing on earth more to be desired by man than to possess and keep, and by making daily progress in this grace of God together with the virtues and the gifts.
How can man thus possess and keep the virtues and the gifts and make daily progress in this grace of God?
By responding faithfully to the supernatural motion of the Holy Spirit, who solicits man to prepare himself to receive grace if he has it not, or to make daily progress therein if he already possesses it
What is this action of the Holy Spirit called?
This action of the Holy Spirit is called actual grace
It is then with this help or through the motion of actual grace that we dispose ourselves to receive habitual or sanctifying grace if we have it not already, or if we have it, to make progress therein?
Yes, it is with this help or through the motion of actual grace that we dispose ourselves to receive habitual or sanctifying grace if we have it not already, or if we have it, to make progress therein.
Can actual grace produce its full effect in us, in spite of us, and without our response?
No, actual grace cannot produce its full effect in us, in spite of us, and without our response
It is necessary then for our free will to co-operate with the motion of actual grace?
Yes, our free will must co-operate with the motion of actual grace.
What is the co-operation of the free will with the motion of actual grace called?
It is called correspondence with grace.
When our free will corresponds thus with actual grace, and we have habitual grace in our soul, has the act any special character?
Yes, it is always a meritorious act
Are there several kinds of merit?
Yes, there is merit de condigno and merit de congruo
What is understood by merit "de condigno"?
It is the merit that demands recompense by right and in strict justice
What is required for man's act to be meritorious "de condigno"?
The act must be done under the impulse of actual grace; it must proceed from sanctifying grace by the virtue of charity; and it must tend towards the acquisition of eternal life for itself alone, or further, towards the increase of grace and of the virtues
Is it possible to merit for others life eternal, or sanctifying grace, or the increase of this grace by merit which is "de condigno"?
No, it is impossible to merit this kind of boons for others except by merit de congruo; for to merit de condigno for others is proper to Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church
What is understood by merit "de congruo"?
By this it is understood that merit which effects that God by reason of the friendship that unites Him to the just, deems it fitting and in accord with His wishes, to respond to the joy that they seek to give Him by their good works, in Himself giving joy to them by granting what they ask or what they desire of Him
Then the whole "raison d'être" of merit is reduced to this, that God moves intimately in the life of the just through grace and the virtues under the action of the Holy Ghost?
Yes, it is always in the intimacy between God and the just, or in their life of grace and the virtues under the action of the Holy Spirit, that consists the whole raison d'être of merit; moreover, whatever man does outside this life, even though in itself it is not evil, is altogether vain and will avail him nothing at the last day
Can this life of grace and the virtues to be lived by man on earth be explained in detail?
Yes, all this will be explained in its proper place when we study man's return to God by his good acts.
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