Through original sin human nature lost the state of sanctity to which it had been raised by God, and as a consequence it was also deprived of the interior order that it had once possessed.
Since the first sin was committed we have lacked the strength of will that would enable us to fulfill all the moral precepts known to us. After sin made its appearance on earth, doing good became difficult, leaving us divided within ourselves. As a result, the whole of human life shows itself to be a dramatic struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness. God’s help is necessary if we are to perform acts directed toward the supernatural life, for our sufficiency is from God rather than ourselves.
Because of original sin, that divine assistance becomes all the more necessary, as no one is freed from sin or delivered from weakness by their own efforts alone. We all need Christ as our teacher, liberator, and savior, knowing that without Him we can do nothing, while with Him we can face all things.
Although human nature is not completely corrupted by original sin, even after Baptism we experience a tendency toward evil and find it hard to do good. This inclination—the fomes peccati or concupiscence—proceeds from sin and inclines us toward sin, even though it is not a sin in itself. Our freedom, while not entirely suppressed, has been weakened. In the light of this doctrine, we come to understand that our good works belong in the first place to God. In a secondary way, they are the result of our having responded to grace as instruments who remain weak and disproportionate to the task. God asks us to keep our underlying poverty in mind so that we avoid falling into pride. Saint Alphonsus Liguori observed that a person dominated by pride acts like a thief, taking for himself the glory that belongs to God. Because we cannot accomplish any supernatural good strictly on our own, whenever we see good fruits in our lives, we ought to turn to Our Lord and recognize that all good things come from Him, while accepting that only what is defective belongs to us.
The Gospel narratives show that encounters with Christ were unique and unrepeatable moments, whether in the life of Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, the woman taken in adultery, or the good thief. God’s grace had been slowly preparing those souls so that they would be open to Him when the moment arrived, accompanying them after that decisive meeting to foster ongoing conversion. Others in the Gospel accounts did not respond to God’s light. Our own encounters with Christ are similarly unique, mirroring those of the people who met Him beside the Lake of Gennesaret or along the roads of Samaria. Christ remains equally present in our lives today, enabling us to receive divine inspirations that draw us closer to Him. He helps us finish a task with care, accept a small cross, or overcome ourselves out of love for Him. These actual graces are free, passing gifts that touch each soul in a distinct way, and we receive countless actual graces each day as long as we do not close our hearts to the Sanctifier.
Through grace God grants us not only the facility to do good, but the very possibility of doing it, for as creatures we are unable by our strength alone to keep the commandments or perform anything supernaturally good. As Our Lord taught, apart from Him we can do nothing, and Saint Paul reminds us that salvation depends not upon human exertion but upon God’s mercy. The Holy Spirit enlightens us to see the truth, inspiring, accompanying, and completing our good deeds. At the same time, grace does not eliminate human freedom, for it is we ourselves who choose and act. We must ask God for the practical wisdom of relying on Him rather than on our intellect or personal resources. In the supernatural life we remain like little children who need constant assistance. Saint Francis de Sales illustrated this by pointing to a mother teaching her child to walk, supporting him, holding his hands on level ground, and carrying him when necessary. In a similar way, Our Lord pays continuous attention to every step we take.
Our role is to respond, to show good will, and to begin again whenever we fall. We do this by maintaining honesty in spiritual direction and focusing on specific points of struggle in our examination of conscience. Most of our days consist of asking for help, corresponding with grace, and giving thanks. Because God treats us with respect and does not force our will, we retain the capacity to resist grace, and in small ways we frequently say no to Him throughout the day. We must continually strive to say yes to what God asks of us while saying no to selfishness, pride, and laziness. Our free response must express itself in thoughts, words, and actions, as faith alone is not enough without personal effort and concrete initiative.
While Christ merited an infinite treasury of grace through His death on the Cross, these graces are given gradually according to how we correspond to them. When we are ready to say yes to Our Lord, we open the way for further gifts. Love for God fills our lives when we remain faithful to small promptings, such as rising promptly in the morning to offer our first thoughts to God, preparing attentively for Holy Mass, or offering up our daily labor. God does not forget anyone who does what is within their power, extending His help to all people. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, God continually seeks out those who have strayed, moving their hearts to return home and offering grace upon grace to those who respond. When we find it difficult to correspond in our personal prayer, we can turn trustingly to Our Lady and Saint Joseph, asking them to help us hear the voice of the Holy Spirit amidst the small details of daily life and grant us the fortitude to put those inspirations into practice.
By The Via Virtutis Team
Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash
