Peace and All Good!!
All goodness comes from God.
It seems that would include the good of conversion or repentance. But does that mean God chooses who will convert and who will not?
Or, is each conversion caused by God insofar that God gave us free will?
An excellent and very important question! Thanks for the post
James 1:16-18 states: [16] Do not err, therefore, my dearest brethren. [17] Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. [18] For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures.
Psalm 138:1-16 also says:[1] Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me: [2] Thou hast know my sitting down, and my rising up. [3] Thou hast understood my thoughts afar off: my path and my line thou hast searched out. [4] And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue. [5] Behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and those of old: thou hast formed me, and hast laid thy hand upon me.
and my most secret thoughts are known to thee.
[6] Thy knowledge is become wonderful to me: it is high, and I cannot reach to it. [7] Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face? [8] If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present. [9] If I take my wings early in the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: [10] Even there also shall thy hand lead me: and thy right hand shall hold me.
[11] And I said: Perhaps darkness shall cover me: and night shall be my light in my pleasures. [12] But darkness shall not be dark to thee, and night shall be light as day: the darkness thereof, and the light thereof are alike to thee. [13] For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’ s womb. [14] I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well. [15] My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.
[16] Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 600 states: “To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of “predestination”, he includes in it each person’s free response to his grace: “In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness”
From my reading of Scripture, the Catechism and the saints (I’m no expert & am happy to be corrected if I’m mistaken), I understand that the Grace and the tools necessary for repentance and conversion are given to us as a free Gift from Our Divine Lord, and he knows what our response will be and if we will accept them & repent.
As such, Our Divine Lord is the author of conversion and repentance but at the same time He does not infringe our free will and we still choose whether to make use of the gifts & inspirations He sends us. His omniscience allows him to know us perfectly & know what we will choose but this doesn’t take away our freedom.
