Faith and Grace

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pablope

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Hello everyone,

I was asked this question, and I said I would get back as I could not respond to it.

Any references would be appreciated:

What is the relationship between Faith and Grace?

What are the differences between faith and grace, if there are any?

Thanks.
 
"… there exists a profound unity between the act by which we believe and the content to which we give our assent. Saint Paul helps us to enter into this reality when he writes: “Man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved” (Rom 10:10). The heart indicates that the first act by which one comes to faith is God’s gift and the action of grace which acts and transforms the person deep within.

The example of Lydia is particularly eloquent in this regard. Saint Luke recounts that, while he was at Philippi, Paul went on the Sabbath to proclaim the Gospel to some women; among them was Lydia and “the Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14).""

~ Pope Benedict XVI Porta Fidei

w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei.html
 
Good posts as always Bookcat.

pablope. I would affirm to your friend that a natural faith exists (a natural virtue).

But I would ALSO emphasize that there is a Supernatural faith (a Supernatural virtue).

There are supernatural virtues (sometimes called the “Theological Virtues”) that come with Baptism. These are graces or undeserved “helps” from God through the Sacrament that help unite us to Christ (the unity is itself a grace too).

My point is, supernatural faith IS a grace.

As Pope Benedict stated (in one of Bookcat’s citations) . . . .
Faith is looking at Christ, entrusting oneself to Christ, being united to Christ, conformed to Christ, to his life.
Click to expand...
This is not all encompassing on faith (Pope Benedict has said other things too), but I think it gives you a good discussion foundation with your friend.

God bless.

Cathoholic
 
Bookcat said:
Catechism

Grace:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c3a2.htm#II

Faith:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c3a1.htm#153

scborromeo.org/ccc/para/166.htm

scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s1c3a1.htm#144
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Thanks Bookcat…

from the CCC:

GRACE

1996 Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.46

1997 Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life: by Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of his Body. As an “adopted son” he can henceforth call God “Father,” in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church.

Faith is a grace

153 When St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood”, but from “my Father who is in heaven”.24 Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. "Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.’"25

I am reading the links from Pope Benedict now…👍
 
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