Is being perfected based on grace or something else?

[pwlj_christ87]

I have a question… since we are all sinners, and we need the sacrament of reconciliation, i am wondering, when we go to confession, we obviously dont want for those sins to occur again, and so through our prayers we say, we dont want to be like this anymore etc etc. well, i am wondering, because i have and am seeing results, is that, does this work where God’s grace is what delivers us from being bad, say for exampple we are tempted or thinking about sin, yet, God will not let us , physiclaly or mentally, he will not let us sin, is this the grace, that helps us not sin,

when we do sin, is it truly our faults then? because i have read on countless saints that dont feel bad at all when they sin, so we should be joyous when we fail and go to go conffession rather than dissappointed beeating up ourselves,

its just a different outlook, becuaes you can have the notion that you are beating yourself up, or you cna have the notion that god’s grace will help you ultimately through effor,t andi f so, how much effort,

 

[po18guy]

Mary’s perfection was and is based on grace. The Lord knows the stuff of which we are made. He does not desire perfection, but repentance, contrition and perseverance. For you and I, His grace is sufficient.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

The sacrament of reconciliation, and the others, are the grace that God is giving. It’s up to us to ‘accept’ the grace, that is to say, make use of it. But, like everything else, you only get out of it what you put into it. If you give it your all, you’ll be taking full advantage of the grace offered to you.

The Saints ( some or most? I don’t know) may not feel bad after a sin because they fully buy into the notion of God’s infinite mercy. But that can’t be sufficient on its own. Perfect contrition would also have to be present. They know they will sin, but they take advantage of every grace they can not to sin. They have contrite hearts and go to confession. There is no reason, in the truest sense of the word, to feel bad after sin, if you’re doing all you can to prevent it.

Special graces can be given by God, without us seeking them; Mary and St. Paul are good examples, but lots of people experience the same sort of ‘amazing grace’ that leads to devotion to the Lord. The graces offered through the sacraments and other devotions, examples of people, etc… (grace is everywhere) are there for the taking and I would say are different from special graces.

 

[Monica4316]

I have a question… since we are all sinners, and we need the sacrament of reconciliation, i am wondering, when we go to confession, we obviously dont want for those sins to occur again, and so through our prayers we say, we dont want to be like this anymore etc etc. well, i am wondering, because i have and am seeing results, is that, does this work where God’s grace is what delivers us from being bad, say for exampple we are tempted or thinking about sin, yet, God will not let us , physiclaly or mentally, he will not let us sin, is this the grace, that helps us not sin,

when we do sin, is it truly our faults then? because i have read on countless saints that dont feel bad at all when they sin, so we should be joyous when we fail and go to go conffession rather than dissappointed beeating up ourselves,

its just a different outlook, becuaes you can have the notion that you are beating yourself up, or you cna have the notion that god’s grace will help you ultimately through effor,t andi f so, how much effort,

Keep in mind the Saints joy was at little imperfections or weaknesses, not deliberate sins. They would weep over their sins and take full responsibility for them. Overcoming sin is God’s grace but we cooperate with His grace, through our good will.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

Being perfected is only possible through grace received from God, but we must participate in that grace & not reject it. God always gives us sufficient grace to withstand temptation, but it is up to us whether we reject that grace and choose to sin or accept it and remain faithful to God. We can pray for more and He will give us more to make the choice easier, but God cannot take away our free will by forcing us to obey His Law. When we sin, it is always our fault because it is by our own choice that we sinned.

A saint does not rejoice nor feel no guilt at all when they have sinned for they have offended God, Who they love above all things. They would not fall into despair, but would have hope in the mercy of God and quickly have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance.

 

[fisherman_carl]

You are taking about the mystery of grace and free will. We may not be able to see the grace at work until long after the fact, in hindsight. We may not have realized why we had to go through what we did until long after the fact. If grace was God controlling us then we would not have free will. Instead, there is an increase of freedom within grace. Where we discover God’s truth, where we pass from darkness to light, and become enlightened by God’s light rather than just on our own. No longer slaves to sin, but sons of God. If we were just on our own we could end up nowhere. But with Jesus’ word as a light to our path we stay on the right course.

 

[fhansen]

I have a question… since we are all sinners, and we need the sacrament of reconciliation, i am wondering, when we go to confession, we obviously dont want for those sins to occur again, and so through our prayers we say, we dont want to be like this anymore etc etc. well, i am wondering, because i have and am seeing results, is that, does this work where God’s grace is what delivers us from being bad, say for exampple we are tempted or thinking about sin, yet, God will not let us , physiclaly or mentally, he will not let us sin, is this the grace, that helps us not sin,

when we do sin, is it truly our faults then? because i have read on countless saints that dont feel bad at all when they sin, so we should be joyous when we fail and go to go conffession rather than dissappointed beeating up ourselves,

its just a different outlook, becuaes you can have the notion that you are beating yourself up, or you cna have the notion that god’s grace will help you ultimately through effor,t andi f so, how much effort,

God’s purpose is to draw His creation-us-into perfection, by grace and with our cooperation. To the extent that we will righteousness or justice, we ourselves are just. This occurs over time, as a process, a work of His transforming us into His image, into beings who love as He does. The more we respond to grace, acting upon it, the more we grow in the knowledge and love of God, and the more sin is naturally excluded. This process may extend into purgatory.Grace isn’t only about forgiveness, but also about change, changed hearts.In the end, we’re learning of our need for God, of the meaning of the words, “Apart from Me you can do nothing”, John 15:5, a concept Adam didn’t quite yet grasp in Eden.

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

Keep in mind the Saints joy was at little imperfections or weaknesses, not deliberate sins. They would weep over their sins and take full responsibility for them. Overcoming sin is God’s grace but we cooperate with His grace, through our good will.

We are not saints who cry over our sins; we take delight in them because they serve to glorify the mercy of God.

— St. Therese of Lisieux (source)