Sect. 137General Notion of Divine GraceGeneral Notion of Divine Grace
The Supernatural and Grace are very closely connected. The first is incomplete without the second, and the second has no specific meaning except when connected with the first; in many respects the two notions are identical.
I. In common language, the term Grace, χάρις, gratia, designates, in the first place, the benevolent disposition of one person towards another; more exactly, benevolent feelings founded on love and freely bestowed by a person of rank on one of lower station. In this primary sense, grace is synonymous with favour. Further, the term grace is applied to the effects of benevolent feelings or favour, viz. to free love-gifts, donum gratis datum, χάρισμα, δωρέα; and also to the dignity which accrues to a person of lower rank from being the favourite of one who is above him. Lastly, grace signifies the qualities which contribute to make a person the favourite of another, e.g. natural or acquired excellence, beauty and amiability generally.
II. In each and all of these meanings the term grace can be applied to the relations between God and creatures. God is infinitely above His creatures, and His love of them is absolutely free, whereas, on the other hand, creatures possess nothing worthy of the Divine favour: their lovableness itself is the work of God. Hence we must consider as graces (1) that love of God by which He gives to His creatures their natural existence; (2) all the gifts bestowed upon creatures; (3) the relation to God which the creature holds by nature as long as, by sin, it does not fall into “disgrace;” (4) the spiritual qualities and states of the mind which, by the working of natural faculties, make the creature pleasing to God. Notably, the term may be applied to the gifts granted to rational natures for the attainment of their ultimate end, although, in the hypothesis of their creation, such gifts are granted necessarily. Again, and even more properly, the dispositions of Divine Providence in the government of rational creatures are called graces. They are indeed included in the general scheme of creation, and so far are necessary gifts; yet their application to particular individuals depends on many free acts; the creature has no strict right to them, and God dispenses them with the love, tenderness, and goodness of a father, i.e. with liberality rather than according to strict justice or even equity.
III. The strict theological usage of the word grace has a more special meaning. Considered subjectively (as a disposition of the mind on God’s part), Grace is a Divine well-wishing which is the source of the supernatural gifts of God to His creatures. The supernatural gift itself is called Grace, inasmuch as it is beyond and above all natural acquirements of the creature, and is, on the part of God, a perfectly free gift (donum indebitum). In its most special theological sense, the term Grace is applied to the benevolent affection by which God gives the highest and best He can give, viz. Himself in the beatific vision. This act of Divine love eminently possesses the character of gracious condescension of the Creator to the creature, and of a gracious assumption of the creature into communion with the Creator. As St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure say, it is a love which not only gives liberally, but also liberally accepts—a love which so favours the creature as to make it the friend, the son, and the bride of the Creator. This same love is also specially called “Grace of the Holy Ghost,” because it extends to the creature the Love by which God loves His only begotten Son, and from which the Holy Ghost proceeds; and because it infuses into the creature a new life, of which the Holy Ghost is the breath. The term “Grace of the Holy Ghost” is also extended to all gifts absolutely supernatural, and even to gifts relatively supernatural, because all alike spring from the same Divine Benevolent Love.
IV. Although all free gifts from Divine Benevolence receive in theology the name of Graces, the name should, nevertheless, be primarily applied to those gifts which not only have their principle in the Divine lovingkindness, but are themselves, in creatures, the principle enabling them to attain their supernatural destination; in other words, it should be applied to gifts which are supernatural aids to a supernatural end. From this point of view, eternal life is not so much a Grace as the final aim and object of Grace. Strictly speaking, this view of grace embraces only the gifts which positively, directly, and in themselves lead to the attainment of supernatural beatitude by making the creature worthy of it; viz. Salutary Graces, or Graces of salvation (gratiæ salutares). This worthiness, and the supernatural sanctity essentially connected therewith, make the creature “pleasing to God” (Deo gratum); whence comes the other name, “Sanctifying Grace” (gratia gratum faciens). The full meaning of these terms is realized in “Habitual Grace,” which properly and formally constitutes the “finding favour in God’s sight” (gratum esse Deo), and is identical with the state above described as super-nature, because nothing but a participation in the Divine Nature can be the basis of a title to Divine Beatitude and can make the participating creature an object of God’s paternal complaisance. Around this Grace are grouped all other salutary Graces especially “Actual Graces.” These are not permanent forms, like Habitual Grace, but forces destined either to introduce or to increase the state of Habitual Grace or supernature. Besides, they are able to produce works deserving of salvation only in connection with Habitual Grace, and by virtue of the dignity or worth which it confers upon the person.
V. All supernatural gifts which do not directly and immediately tend to the attainment of the creature’s supernatural destiny, but merely assist in this attainment, as it were, from without,—which, consequently have not the specific character of the Graces described,—are termed gratia gratis datæ, χαρίσματα, i.e. Graces given out of undeserved love. They are commonly described as graces given to a person less for his own benefit than for the benefit of others.
The Supernatural and Grace are very closely connected. The first is incomplete without the second, and the second has no specific meaning except when connected with the first; in many respects the two notions are identical.
I. In common language, the term Grace, χάρις, gratia, designates, in the first place, the benevolent disposition of one person towards another; more exactly, benevolent feelings founded on love and freely bestowed by a person of rank on one of lower station. In this primary sense, grace is synonymous with favour. Further, the term grace is applied to the effects of benevolent feelings or favour, viz. to free love-gifts, donum gratis datum, χάρισμα, δωρέα; and also to the dignity which accrues to a person of lower rank from being the favourite of one who is above him. Lastly, grace signifies the qualities which contribute to make a person the favourite of another, e.g. natural or acquired excellence, beauty and amiability generally.
II. In each and all of these meanings the term grace can be applied to the relations between God and creatures. God is infinitely above His creatures, and His love of them is absolutely free, whereas, on the other hand, creatures possess nothing worthy of the Divine favour: their lovableness itself is the work of God. Hence we must consider as graces (1) that love of God by which He gives to His creatures their natural existence; (2) all the gifts bestowed upon creatures; (3) the relation to God which the creature holds by nature as long as, by sin, it does not fall into “disgrace;” (4) the spiritual qualities and states of the mind which, by the working of natural faculties, make the creature pleasing to God. Notably, the term may be applied to the gifts granted to rational natures for the attainment of their ultimate end, although, in the hypothesis of their creation, such gifts are granted necessarily. Again, and even more properly, the dispositions of Divine Providence in the government of rational creatures are called graces. They are indeed included in the general scheme of creation, and so far are necessary gifts; yet their application to particular individuals depends on many free acts; the creature has no strict right to them, and God dispenses them with the love, tenderness, and goodness of a father, i.e. with liberality rather than according to strict justice or even equity.
III. The strict theological usage of the word grace has a more special meaning. Considered subjectively (as a disposition of the mind on God’s part), Grace is a Divine well-wishing which is the source of the supernatural gifts of God to His creatures. The supernatural gift itself is called Grace, inasmuch as it is beyond and above all natural acquirements of the creature, and is, on the part of God, a perfectly free gift (donum indebitum). In its most special theological sense, the term Grace is applied to the benevolent affection by which God gives the highest and best He can give, viz. Himself in the beatific vision. This act of Divine love eminently possesses the character of gracious condescension of the Creator to the creature, and of a gracious assumption of the creature into communion with the Creator. As St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure say, it is a love which not only gives liberally, but also liberally accepts—a love which so favours the creature as to make it the friend, the son, and the bride of the Creator. This same love is also specially called “Grace of the Holy Ghost,” because it extends to the creature the Love by which God loves His only begotten Son, and from which the Holy Ghost proceeds; and because it infuses into the creature a new life, of which the Holy Ghost is the breath. The term “Grace of the Holy Ghost” is also extended to all gifts absolutely supernatural, and even to gifts relatively supernatural, because all alike spring from the same Divine Benevolent Love.
IV. Although all free gifts from Divine Benevolence receive in theology the name of Graces, the name should, nevertheless, be primarily applied to those gifts which not only have their principle in the Divine lovingkindness, but are themselves, in creatures, the principle enabling them to attain their supernatural destination; in other words, it should be applied to gifts which are supernatural aids to a supernatural end. From this point of view, eternal life is not so much a Grace as the final aim and object of Grace. Strictly speaking, this view of grace embraces only the gifts which positively, directly, and in themselves lead to the attainment of supernatural beatitude by making the creature worthy of it; viz. Salutary Graces, or Graces of salvation (gratiæ salutares). This worthiness, and the supernatural sanctity essentially connected therewith, make the creature “pleasing to God” (Deo gratum); whence comes the other name, “Sanctifying Grace” (gratia gratum faciens). The full meaning of these terms is realized in “Habitual Grace,” which properly and formally constitutes the “finding favour in God’s sight” (gratum esse Deo), and is identical with the state above described as super-nature, because nothing but a participation in the Divine Nature can be the basis of a title to Divine Beatitude and can make the participating creature an object of God’s paternal complaisance. Around this Grace are grouped all other salutary Graces especially “Actual Graces.” These are not permanent forms, like Habitual Grace, but forces destined either to introduce or to increase the state of Habitual Grace or supernature. Besides, they are able to produce works deserving of salvation only in connection with Habitual Grace, and by virtue of the dignity or worth which it confers upon the person.
V. All supernatural gifts which do not directly and immediately tend to the attainment of the creature’s supernatural destiny, but merely assist in this attainment, as it were, from without,—which, consequently have not the specific character of the Graces described,—are termed gratia gratis datæ, χαρίσματα, i.e. Graces given out of undeserved love. They are commonly described as graces given to a person less for his own benefit than for the benefit of others.
Seção 47% da obra, de A Manual of Catholic Theology (Wilhelm & Scannell, sobre a Dogmatik de Scheeben). Ver o original.