Is grace ever merited?

[Binary]

There’s a short prayer I sometimes say when I am going through a difficult spiritual time. It goes more or less like: “Lord, if my actions in this would warrant any merit, please give it to so-and-so.” I realize that I need grace as much as anyone, but I like having the extra motivation of helping someone else when it’s hard to do the right thing. Nevertheless, I don’t want to be doing anything unorthodox, so if this is contrary to Catholic teaching, please let me know.

 

[fred_conty]

To do that for others is an act of mercy. The saints many times offered their sufferings and prayers for others. The result of these actions is,…grace. As a matter of fact if someone dosen’t pray for them, they will not make it to heaven because some have become indifferent to sin and their salvation. This may also be done with temptations overcome, or unpleasent situations if these are taken in the right christian spirit of love for others.

Some catholics have offered everything to Mary to do with as she pleases and apply the mercy where it is most needed since she, being close to her son in heaven, knows how to make the best use of our spiritual gifts.

As a matter of fact St. Faustina had an experience at the time of Holy Communion.
“After Holy Communion today, I spoke at length to the Lord Jesus about people who are special to me. Then I heard these words. ‘My daughter, don’t be exerting youself so much with words. Those whom you love in a special way, I too love in a special way, and for your sake, I shower my graces upon them. I am pleased when you tell me about them, but don’t be doing so with such excessive effort.’”

You mentioned your difficult time offered up for others. Here is a quote from St. Faustina.
“I have been ill for four months, but I do not recall having wasted so much as a minute of it. All has been for God and souls; I want to be faithful to Him everywhere.”

Be at peace.

 

[JRKH]

There’s a short prayer I sometimes say when I am going through a difficult spiritual time. It goes more or less like: “Lord, if my actions in this would warrant any merit, please give it to so-and-so.” I realize that I need grace as much as anyone, but I like having the extra motivation of helping someone else when it’s hard to do the right thing. Nevertheless, I don’t want to be doing anything unorthodox, so if this is contrary to Catholic teaching, please let me know.

WOW - I have done the same thing almost word for word…Happy to know that I am not alone…

My answer is - No you have done nothing wrong or unorthodox. You have made the offer - in Love - so whatever God does with that offer is up to Him.

To the specific question of can we “merit” grace…We know that the first action is always God’s - Grace is available to us all and by that grace we are able to respond to Him.
As we begin to respond more grace becomes available.
Think of it like a small trickle of water coming from the side of a hill. A hidden spring. Upon first tasting the cool sweet water, you desire more. So - you begin to work to open the spring. More water flows, more refreshment = more encouragement to open the spring more and when it is flowing freely you offer it to others…

Life the water - Grace is already pre-existing. Any “merit” we have comes first from the grace itself, and only second from our efforts to respond to the grace, open the flow of grace and then offering it to others…

Hope this makes sense…

Peace
James

 

[hicetnunc]

Grace cannot be meritted, because, as Aquinas tells us, grace is the principle of merit and not vice versa (in other words, habitual grace produces and is the cause of merit).

Merit furthermore is given by God through Christ, who is the source, or treasurer of all merit. However, grace enables our free acts, including our prayer, to earn merit. And yes, we can even be insturmental in obtaining grace for others through intercessory prayer.

Merit on the other hand is “earned” for another relatively or conditionally speaking; since all merit comes through freely choosing what is right and just, a prayer for merit for someone else will mean, if such a prayer is answered, that God will move them to do something worthy of merit. But merit is not given without good works, and all good works are performed according to the measure of grace that each has.

The bottom line is, don’t stop praying for your friends, enemies and loved ones that they may be filled with grace and that such grace may move them to meritorious works! Prayer is truly powerful and efficacious, especially prayers for others.

God bless!

 

[empther]

Matthew 5:12 seems to settle the matter:

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Clearly Jesus is saying we can merit something.

After all, if this wasn’t the case then he would have no reason to teach the Apostles anything.

 

[TEPO]

Grace cannot be meritted, because, as Aquinas tells us, grace is the principle of merit and not vice versa (in other words, habitual grace produces and is the cause of merit).

Merit furthermore is given by God through Christ, who is the source, or treasurer of all merit. However, grace enables our free acts, including our prayer, to earn merit. And yes, we can even be insturmental in obtaining grace for others through intercessory prayer.

Merit on the other hand is “earned” for another relatively or conditionally speaking; since all merit comes through freely choosing what is right and just, a prayer for merit for someone else will mean, if such a prayer is answered, that God will move them to do something worthy of merit. But merit is not given without good works, and all good works are performed according to the measure of grace that each has.

The bottom line is, don’t stop praying for your friends, enemies and loved ones that they may be filled with grace and that such grace may move them to meritorious works! Prayer is truly powerful and efficacious, especially prayers for others.

God bless!

Amen.

 

[TEPO]

To the specific question of can we “merit” grace…We know that the first action is always God’s - Grace is available to us all and by that grace we are able to respond to Him.
As we begin to respond more grace becomes available.
Think of it like a small trickle of water coming from the side of a hill. A hidden spring. Upon first tasting the cool sweet water, you desire more. So - you begin to work to open the spring. More water flows, more refreshment = more encouragement to open the spring more and when it is flowing freely you offer it to others…

Life the water - Grace is already pre-existing. Any “merit” we have comes first from the grace itself, and only second from our efforts to respond to the grace, open the flow of grace and then offering it to others…

Hope this makes sense…

Peace
James

This is a good point too. We have to be willing to “act” on our graces, whether it’s “opening the spring” like in your example, or by literally putting into action the virtues that God has given us. In any case there needs to be responsiveness on our part.

Now whether either this responsiveness or Gods gifts can be considered as merited- I really can’t say for sure. But I would think that if both grace and life itself come from Gods “acts”, then maybe they are merited- by God.

The catechism mentions a few things about Actual Grace… Which pertains to our abilities to not only desire actual grace but to “act” on it. A prayer is acting on this actual grace -which may be merited through God.

 

[TEPO]

There’s a short prayer I sometimes say when I am going through a difficult spiritual time. It goes more or less like: “Lord, if my actions in this would warrant any merit, please give it to so-and-so.” I realize that I need grace as much as anyone, but I like having the extra motivation of helping someone else when it’s hard to do the right thing. Nevertheless, I don’t want to be doing anything unorthodox, so if this is contrary to Catholic teaching, please let me know.

I think this prayer you say must be somewhat of a difficult task if you were, as you suggested, going through a “difficult spiritual time”…

But if you do it knowing that it will reproduce more grace toward another, then that is good.

If you do it knowing that it will reproduce more grace toward yourself, (which it will) then that is yet another good -because all grace is good.

 

[JRKH]

This is a good point too. We have to be willing to “act” on our graces, whether it’s “opening the spring” like in your example, or by literally putting into action the virtues that God has given us. In any case there needs to be responsiveness on our part.

Very true…I was in a hurry when I typed the analogy of the spring…I should have included that the “opening of the spring” is our focus on God, our desire to please Him and to Do His Will. After all, "Not all who cry ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom but only those who do the Will of the Father. This is what opens the spring.

Now whether either this responsiveness or Gods gifts can be considered as merited- I really can’t say for sure. But I would think that if both grace and life itself come from Gods “acts”, then maybe they are merited- by God.

It certainly cannot be merited in the sense of “wages” or “earnings” - something owed by God to us. This is why I like the “opening the spring” analogy. The water exists and there is plenty of it. It is not restricted in any way (like wages would be) on the part of the giver (God). The only restriction is on our receptivity, our willingness to accept and use the grace so that we might “merit” (be worthy of) greater graces.
What is the parable of the owner who gives each of his servants some money and then goes away? Oh - Yea Mt 25:14-30.
The most telling verse here is, "For to every one who has (a willingness to act on grace) will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

The catechism mentions a few things about Actual Grace… Which pertains to our abilities to not only desire actual grace but to “act” on it. A prayer is acting on this actual grace -which may be merited through God.

Peace
James