Quotes About Grace

Over the years, I have seen too many politicians ruin their careers because they could not accept defeat graciously.

Grace is in garments, in movements, in manners beauty in the nude, and in forms. This is true of bodies but when we speak of feelings, beauty is in their spirituality, and grace in their moderation.

We are alive, the wolves said. And the world is beautiful.

age has its own glory, beauty, and wisdom that belong to it.

every life should be a quest to achieve the goal of heaven through a growth in virtue, thereby attaining the power, through grace, to overcome the monsters and demons which seek to prevent the achievement of this paramount goal. It is in this way and with this understanding of the meaning and purpose of life that we are meant to read The Hobbit and it is in this way, and this way alone, that we find its deepest and most applicable meaning.

Although I had grown significantly, my spiritual growth was as imperceptible on a daily basis as is the physical growth of a child. I was aware, however, that my reception into the Catholic Church was absolutely necessary to my continued progress. My first confession had cleansed me of my sins, enabling me to move forward with a clean slate, and my regular reception of the Blessed Sacrament supplied the very bread of my life, nourishing me with grace and enabling me to grow healthier. Although

Hatred and bigotry, both of which are the bitter fruits of pride, are self-encapsulating prisons, locking the intellect within the constraining confines of the self-centered ego. There is no way out of this prison of pride without the key provided by God-given grace.

ceases to be merciful, no matter what sins have been conv mitted.

Perfect contrition effects the immediate justification of the sinner without the Sacrament of Penance, as we shall show presently. 12 How can this extra-sacramental

They infallibly confer grace, not only on the predestined, but on " all who receive them rightly." 9 Their efficacy is ex opere operate, i. e. derived from the ob jective value of the rite itself, not from the merits of minister or subject. 10

Hence, if one places an obstacle to sacramental grace, 4 he receives the Sacra ment unworthily, but the Sacrament itself is not invalid; it is valid but lacking its proper form (validum et in-forme).

If his contrition is not perfect, the unworthily received Sacrament of Baptism can re cover its effects only in connection with Penance, which blots out mortal sin ex opere operato, and removes the obstacle that prevented the infusion of grace.

A Sacrament (sacramentum tantum) and the sacra mental grace which it confers (res tantum, effectus) are two separate and distinct things. A Sacrament does not fulfil the whole purpose for which it was instituted unless it actually confers grace.

St. Au gustine draws a distinction between habere and utiliter habere 6 and asks: " What does it avail a man to be baptized if he is not justified?

Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Matrimony, and Holy Orders presuppose the state of sancti fying grace, which they merely increase (iusti-ficatio secunda). Hence the only requisite of a worthy reception of these Sacraments is the state of grace.

The sanctifying grace required for these Sac raments can be obtained either by making an act of perfect contrition or by worthily receiving the Sacrament of Penance.

The minister need not be in the state of grace, nor need he have the faith (negative disposi tion), but he must have the right intention (pos itive disposition).

As the sacramental sign is the inanimate medium of grace, 16 so the minister is its animate instrument in the hands of Christ.

all that is necessary for the valid administration of the Sacraments is the direct intention, i. e. the purpose of performing the rite as is usual among Catholics. To demand in addition a reflex in tention, either for the administration of the Sac rament as such, or for the production of the sac ramental character and the infusion of grace, would be to make the validity of the Sacrament depend upon the orthodoxy of the minister,—an assumption which we have shown to be false.

Christ, in whom godhead and manhood are so inti mately united, is as it were a living Sacrament — the personal and visible embodiment of uncreated grace. Similarly His Church, as the mystical image of the Hypostatic Union, is the visible medium of supernatural life, and therefore preeminently a sacramental institu tion.

Baptism has for its general effect the regeneration of the soul, 1 and hence belongs to the " Sacraments of the dead." Its specific effects are three, viz.: (i) the grace of jus tification (iustificatio prima) ; (2) forgiveness of all the penalties of sin; and (3) the sacramental character.

The effect of this Sacrament [Baptism] is the remission of every sin, original and ac tual.

Bap tism also effects the supernatural concomitants of sanc tifying grace, viz.: the three divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity, the infused moral virtues, and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, including His personal indwell-

under certain conditions, the place of Baptism by water (baptismus fiuminis) may be supplied by Baptism of desire (baptismus flaminis) or by Baptism of blood (baptismus sanguinis).