Grace: Christ living in us

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I’m a convert from agnosticism / irreligion. I wonder if you could help me with a problem I’ve been having.

It’s about the co-operation between God’s grace and our human free-will.

It seems to me that there are, mainly, two false approaches.
Quietism: the idea that you should do nothing and wait for God to reveal Himself, because without Him you can do nothing truly good.
Pelagianism (“Loudism”, if you like): the idea that the human will can do good without any assistance by God’s grace.

I’ve struggled with these extremes, because I often go from just lying there doing nothing waiting for God to perform something wonderful for me (and then being disappointed when nothing happens), and trying to pray/meditate but constantly criticising myself for relying on my own will and not God’s grace.

Last night I think I found the solution to this problem and I’m wondering if you more experienced Catholics can confirm that it’s the correct one.

I think my problem results from a immature idea of grace. I thought of grace too much as being limited to really special acts, like sudden illuminations / inspirations, sudden feelings of joy or love, angelic lights, humble feelings, etc. Those special moments of consolation where one is aware of God’s presence in a more sensible way (via the senses). Therefore, I’ve been waiting or trying to have these special graces constantly and being extremely critical with myself or impatient with God when I didn’t get them. I believe this vice is called “spiritual gluttony” by spiritual writers - always wanting to taste sweet spiritual feelings.

My new notion is that whenever we are moved towards God, even if it is not in an altogether perfect or angelic or saintly way, it is God’s grace acting in us, moving us towards Him. So whenever we pray – even if we feel no special sweetness or consolation – it is God motivating us to pray to Him. When ever we find ourselves thinking about God – even if it is in a confused or imperfect way – it is God enlightening us of His presence. This is a much happier view of the life of grace, because it means that:
  1. I can go forward and act while praying for God’s graceful assistance, without worrying that unless I feel like I’m an angel God is not with me,
  2. I can thank God for every motion I have towards Him, even if it’s not always a very powerful motion,
  3. It makes me more aware and therefore grateful of Christ’s being formed in my soul, more grateful for God’s gifts,
  4. I no longer have to beat myself up for not receiving special illuminations, because those are no longer the foundation of the life of grace but just the occasional “icing on the cake”, so the speak.
It destroys Quietism because now I can act trusting that Christ is with me so long as I am humble in receiving His Holy Spirit and not just wait, and it destroys Pelagianism because now I can be always thankful to God for every inclination I feel towards Him, and not imagining that my inclination towards Him is just myself acting independently of God.

Anyone else struggled with this kind of problem?
 
Hi Jack Common,

Hope you get a lot of posts - this is very interesting!

Personally, I haven’t struggled with this because I THINK I have a good understanding of God’s grace - which is pretty much beyond our understanding because it involves so many different ideas. it’s much more than God’s love for us, or God’s unmerited love, etc.

Your second scenario is the correct one. Two points:

We can’t just sit around and wait to be “pushed” by God. Think of it like this: WE are God’s hands and feet. We have to move for Him on the earth since He’s not going to be doing every little thing for us because he’s out of space and time, first of all, and also because we have free will and He’s not going to be doing miracles every moment of every day. Then we’d be like puppets just being pulled by His strings. I’m sure you’ve heard of this.

Second of all, our faith cannot be based on FEELINGS. You don’t sit around and wait for some feeling to hit you. You go by what you KNOW. Faith is a knowing - not a feeling.

Praise God that sometimes we could have a feeling too! Happiness in the spirit, tears in the spirit, but these will be few and far between I fear.

It’s nice that you’ve come to the correct conclusion on your own. God’s grace is a big concept - many books on it. it’s good to do a lot of reading on that. God’s love is what drew you to Him and His grace is what will keep you to Him, if you so wish it.

Welcome! To the family o f God.

Fran
 
Hi Jack - great post!

I am no expert on grace, but you seem to have a solid understanding of this great gift. That we can spurn grace or accept it is a mystery of free-will, which, as you rightly say, can only be used for good/God when it is moved by grace.

“In the sanctification of the soul He does ninety nine and three-fourths of the work…” (The rest we must do for ourself - and even this requires grace)
  • Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata
In the past I definitely fell into a kind of quietism. If I fell into sin, I would distrust God (who is “plenteous in mercy” to all who call upon Him); rather than seeking His aid through prayer, I would sometimes wait for a strong “push” in His direction. This was definitely a gross error, and I thank God that He has delivered me from this foolish, presumptuous notion.

Have you read ‘Christ, the Life of the Soul’ by Bl. Dom Marmion?
 
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