Daily Meditation - Wednesday 4June 2008 - WHAT IS GRACE? AND WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

[BarbaraTherese]

Mass Readings and Meditation

Readings

Meditation

2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12

*Grace, mercy, and peace *
from God the Father and Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 1:2)

Did you ever notice that St. Paul begins just about every letter wishing his readers grace from God?
It’s a very moving sentiment, but what is this grace, and where does it come from?

• Put simply, grace is a free gift from God,
• an unmerited outpouring of his love and goodness.
• It is also the foundation for the whole of the Christian life.

For more insight, we can turn to Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the papal household:

• “The concept of ‘righteousness of God’ was explained in the Letter to Titus:
• ‘But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared,
• not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy’ (Titus 3:4-5).
  Saying ‘The righteousness of God appeared,’ is the same as saying:

• The goodness of God, his love and his mercy, appeared.
• It was not man who, all of a sudden, changed life and tradition
• and put himself to the task of doing good;
• the novelty is that God acted,
• he was the first to extend his hand out to sinful man, and his action fulfilled time.
  “Here is the novelty that distinguishes the Judeo-Christian religion from any other.
• Any other religion draws out for man a path to salvation by means of practical observations
• and intellectual speculations, promising him, as a final prize, salvation and illumination,
• but leaving him substantially alone in achieving the task.
  Christianity does not begin with what man must do to save himself, but rather with what God has done to save him.”

• It can be easy to forget this truth.
• Whenever we start to worry about our standing in God’s eyes,
• it’s usually because of something that we have done or not done.
  Yes, God does expect us to “work out” our salvation (Philippians 2:12),
• but this salvation is not something that comes and goes based on our performance.
• It has already been given to us.
• Now it’s up to us to embrace it and let its promise take hold of our lives.
• So today, try to think about the incredible mercy of God.
• He has saved you, and it’s all through his grace!
  “Lord, I praise and thank you for the awesome gift of salvation!
  Stir up this gift with the fire of your Spirit,
  so the whole world
  may know of your love!”