Prevenient actual grace

[Ron_Conte]

Actual grace is divided into two types:

a. operating prevenient grace

b. cooperating subsequent grace

Operating grace is God’s grace prior to any choice by our free will, prior to any meritorious act on our part. Operating grace was merited for us by Christ on the Cross; we do not merit operating grace.

Suppose that you pray for grace, and in response, God grants you grace. Before you prayed, God gave you grace to say that prayer. This ‘prevenient’ grace ‘goes before’ any cooperation with grace by us. Any good act in which we cooperate with grace was always without exception preceded by ‘operating grace’ – by God acting first in a free and undeserved, unearned, gift of grace. Operating grace is also called ‘prevenient’ grace, because it occurs first.

Cooperating grace is subsequent to operating grace, and is therefore also called ‘subsequent grace’. Only after God first acts to give you a free gift of grace, are you then able, with free will, to cooperate with subsequent graces. Your cooperation with these subsequent (cooperating) graces is meritorious. But the initial gift of prevenient (operating) grace is undeserved and involves no merit, nor any act at all, on your part.

Prevenient grace is received by all persons in this life, even the very wicked. The person has no choice to accept or reject prevenient grace, and it is not merely an offer of grace. The prevenient grace of God does affect each person’s soul, prior to any choice of the free will to cooperate or not cooperate with subsequent grace.

 

[ryanoneil]

I’ve alway had a hard time understanding this.

Can we only resist cooperating subsequent grace?

Or can we resist operating prevenient grace after we have already recieved it?

 

[Bookcat]

Grace from the Catechism

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm#II

II. 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.

1998 This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God’s gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature.47

1999 The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. It is the sanctifying or deifying grace received in Baptism. It is in us the source of the work of sanctification:48

Therefore if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.49

2000 Sanctifying grace is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love. Habitual grace, the permanent disposition to live and act in keeping with God’s call, is distinguished from actual graces which refer to God’s interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification.

2001 The preparation of man for the reception of grace is already a work of grace. This latter is needed to arouse and sustain our collaboration in justification through faith, and in sanctification through charity. God brings to completion in us what he has begun, "since he who completes his work by cooperating with our will began by working so that we might will it:"50

Indeed we also work, but we are only collaborating with God who works, for his mercy has gone before us. It has gone before us so that we may be healed, and follows us so that once healed, we may be given life; it goes before us so that we may be called, and follows us so that we may be glorified; it goes before us so that we may live devoutly, and follows us so that we may always live with God: for without him we can do nothing.51

2002 God’s free initiative demands man’s free response, for God has created man in his image by conferring on him, along with freedom, the power to know him and love him. The soul only enters freely into the communion of love. God immediately touches and directly moves the heart of man. He has placed in man a longing for truth and goodness that only he can satisfy. The promises of “eternal life” respond, beyond all hope, to this desire:

If at the end of your very good works . . ., you rested on the seventh day, it was to foretell by the voice of your book that at the end of our works, which are indeed "very good" since you have given them to us, we shall also rest in you on the sabbath of eternal life.52

2003 Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us. But grace also includes the gifts that the Spirit grants us to associate us with his work, to enable us to collaborate in the salvation of others and in the growth of the Body of Christ, the Church. There are sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments. There are furthermore special graces, also called charisms after the Greek term used by St. Paul and meaning “favor,” “gratuitous gift,” "benefit."53 Whatever their character - sometimes it is extraordinary, such as the gift of miracles or of tongues - charisms are oriented toward sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. They are at the service of charity which builds up the Church.54

2004 Among the special graces ought to be mentioned the graces of state that accompany the exercise of the responsibilities of the Christian life and of the ministries within the Church:

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; he who teaches, in his teaching; he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who contributes, in liberality; he who gives aid, with zeal; he who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.55

2005 Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith. We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved.56 However, according to the Lord’s words "Thus you will know them by their fruits"57 - reflection on God’s blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty.
A pleasing illustration of this attitude is found in the reply of St. Joan of Arc to a question posed as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges: "Asked if she knew that she was in God's grace, she replied: 'If I am not, may it please God to put me in it; if I am, may it please God to keep me there.'"58

 

[Bookcat]

domcentral.org/study/aumann/st/st04.htm

 

[Scoobyshme]

I might add that the more we cooperate with actual grace, the more actual grace we get. It’s like building muscles with regard to our spiritual lives. Or so said Fr. Jerome Frey many winters ago…

 

[panevino]

Actual grace is divided into two types:

a. operating prevenient grace

b. cooperating subsequent grace…

Ron,
thanks for your patience/help with the sanctifying grace thread

I recently listened to a podcast by James White on “The dividing line - february 9 2010”
he was responding to some comments made by some guys from the calvary church.
now I am an absolute baby in understanding calvanist teaching and catholic teaching on these topics. But JW appeared convinced that the bible makes no allowance for free will and that there is no ability to ‘turn down’ grace.

essentially saying and closing with …God is never dependant on the will of man to accomplish his purposes…

 

[Ron_Conte]

I’ve alway had a hard time understanding this.

Can we only resist cooperating subsequent grace?

Or can we resist operating prevenient grace after we have already recieved it?

We can choose to cooperate with subsequent grace, or we can choose to refuse to cooperate with subsequent grace. However, we have no choice concerning prevenient grace; it is never cooperative. After we receive prevenient grace, we can cooperate or resist subsequent grace. There is no way to cooperate with, or to resist, prevenient grace. It is the first grace given before we exercise our free will in cooperation or in the refusal to cooperate. It is the grace that makes our free will truly free, by allowing free will to choose holy acts in cooperation with subsequent grace. Prevenient grace moves and enables free will to have the power to do good in cooperation with subsequent grace.

 

[Ron_Conte]

I might add that the more we cooperate with actual grace, the more actual grace we get. It’s like building muscles with regard to our spiritual lives. Or so said Fr. Jerome Frey many winters ago…

Yes, by cooperating with subsequent grace, we merit an increase in grace.

 

[Scoobyshme]

Ron, BTW, I love this sort of post. It provides us with information we don’t normally hear either at Mass or otherwise in the Church. We all seem too busy with committees, meetings, etc., to bother with educating the faithful in most parishes these days! Good job!

 

[ryanoneil]

We can choose to cooperate with subsequent grace, or we can choose to refuse to cooperate with subsequent grace. However, we have no choice concerning prevenient grace; it is never cooperative. After we receive prevenient grace, we can cooperate or resist subsequent grace. There is no way to cooperate with, or to resist, prevenient grace. It is the first grace given before we exercise our free will in cooperation or in the refusal to cooperate. It is the grace that makes our free will truly free, by allowing free will to choose holy acts in cooperation with subsequent grace. Prevenient grace moves and enables free will to have the power to do good in cooperation with subsequent grace.

Why can’t we resist operating grace after we recieve it?

 

[Ron_Conte]

Why can’t we resist operating grace after we recieve it?

When we receive operating prevenient grace, that grace has had its effect. Grace is an effect in the soul. Once it has had its effect, making us able to cooperate, then any subsequent grace is called subsequent cooperating grace; only then can we cooperate or resist. We cannot resist operating grace after we receive it because this subsequent event of resisting or cooperating is now subsequent cooperating grace (by definition).

God is always first with His grace, before any good act that we do (or refuse to do).

 

[ryanoneil]

When we receive operating prevenient grace, that grace has had its effect. Grace is an effect in the soul. Once it has had its effect, making us able to cooperate, then any subsequent grace is called subsequent cooperating grace; only then can we cooperate or resist. We cannot resist operating grace after we receive it because this subsequent event of resisting or cooperating is now subsequent cooperating grace (by definition).

God is always first with His grace, before any good act that we do (or refuse to do).

Please be patient with me, and correct me where I’m wrong. I’ve already typed a page or two worth of thoughts and erased them, because I think that one thing makes sense then I run into a road block. And my mind keeps going around and around. Maybe this is a mystery I will never figure out.

If the effect of cooperating grace is our ability to cooperate, what is the effect of cooperating grace?

 

[Ron_Conte]

If the effect of cooperating * grace is our ability to cooperate, what is the effect of cooperating grace?*It’s not.

1. prevenient operating grace moves and enables the will to do good.
2. subsequent cooperating grace enables us to cooperate and to continue in doing good.

Grace is always first. Before we can pray for grace, we must be given the grace to move us to prayer. Before we can do anything good, even the good of cooperating with grace, God must first move and enable us to do good. We can never be first in doing good before God. God is always first with his grace, before every good act.

 

[ryanoneil]

It’s not.

1. prevenient operating grace moves and enables the will to do good.
2. subsequent cooperating grace enables us to cooperate and to continue in doing good.

Grace is always first. Before we can pray for grace, we must be given the grace to move us to prayer. Before we can do anything good, even the good of cooperating with grace, God must first move and enable us to do good. We can never be first in doing good before God. God is always first with his grace, before every good act.

Thanks for catching my mistake. I entirely agree grace is always first. But what is the real difference between “enabling the will to do good” and “enabling cooperation”. It sounds like the same thing. Before you said “When we receive operating prevenient grace, that grace has had its effect. Grace is an effect in the soul. Once it has had its effect, making us able to cooperate, then any subsequent grace is called subsequent cooperating grace”

My hang up is where the resistance occurs. Tell me if this example makes sense. God sends operating grace to move and enable me to pray. Let’s say the movement is God telling my conscience to pray. It is all God at this point (pure grace). I have only had a thought and have not decided anything. Am I fully enabled to do the good at this point (in light of 1. prevenient operating grace moves and enables the will to do good)? Or do I need (2. subsequent cooperating grace enables us to cooperate and to continue in doing good) before I can even make a decision?

In my thinking, God acts then I act. He put the thought in my head then I resist or don’t resist. If I don’t resist it is because of (1.) If I resist it is after the effect of (1.). God let’s me resist and I don’t pray.

If I decide to pray it is because (1.) already happend. Then after I decide, I act because God sends (2.) which is His move that leads me to work the good. That would be grace coming first, right?

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems if God sends (2.) it should have the effect it was supposed to have- enabling us to cooperate and to continue in doing good. Are you saying He sends (2.) if we have no intention of cooperating?

 

[Ron_Conte]

My hang up is where the resistance occurs. Tell me if this example makes sense. God sends operating grace to move and enable me to pray. Let’s say the movement is God telling my conscience to pray. It is all God at this point (pure grace). I have only had a thought and have not decided anything. Am I fully enabled to do the good at this point (in light of 1. prevenient operating grace moves and enables the will to do good)? Or do I need (2. subsequent cooperating grace enables us to cooperate and to continue in doing good) before I can even make a decision?

Making a good decision is cooperating with grace, so you need (2) while you are deciding. You need (1) before you can decide to do good, and (2) while doing good.

In my thinking, God acts then I act. He put the thought in my head then I resist or don’t resist. If I don’t resist it is because of (1.) If I resist it is after the effect of (1.). God let’s me resist and I don’t pray.

First, God acts alone.
Second, God acts with you, if you cooperate.
It is not correct to say that God acts, then you act, because He is acting before, during, and after every act of cooperation with grace on your part.

If I decide to pray it is because (1.) already happend. Then after I decide, I act because God sends (2.) which is His move that leads me to work the good. That would be grace coming first, right?

Yes, if you decide to pray with sincerity, it is because (1) happened prior to your decision, and because (2) happened during your decision.

First, God gives you the grace to be able to decide to do good.
Second, you work with grace in deciding to do good.
And the same is true for the good act that you decide to do.

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems if God sends (2.) it should have the effect it was supposed to have- enabling us to cooperate and to continue in doing good. Are you saying He sends (2.) if we have no intention of cooperating?

(1) enables us to cooperate
(2) cooperates with us
The difference is that (1) enables the cooperation, and then we can respond by refusing to cooperate, in which case (2) is not given, or we can respond by cooperating with (2) .

Certain merely natural good acts (e.g. eating a meal, going for a walk), acts that are good in the sense of morally permissible, but which are not meritorious or holy acts, can be done without grace. But all meritorious acts, all holy acts, all acts that are of true and lasting value, require grace.

 

[Verbum_Caro]

Before we can do anything good

God is always first with his grace, before every good act.

was later clarified to this

Certain (. . .) good acts (. . .) can be done without grace.

VC

 

[Ron_Conte]

Yes, thanks for pointing out that clarification.

 

[ryanoneil]

Thanks for sticking with me Ron! I appreciate it, and think I’m almost there.

Making a good decision is cooperating with grace, so you need (2) while you are deciding. You need (1) before you can decide to do good, and (2) while doing good.

OK! I was thinking (1) could carry us through the entire decision making process and (2) would govern actions, but what you say makes more sense.

First, God acts alone.
Second, God acts with you, if you cooperate.
It is not correct to say that God acts, then you act, because He is acting before, during, and after every act of cooperation with grace on your part.

I think I was saying the same thing, even though I made the mistake above.

But it would be correct to say that God acts, then we act, if we are resisting?

Yes, if you decide to pray with sincerity, it is because (1) happened prior to your decision, and because (2) happened during your decision.

First, God gives you the grace to be able to decide to do good.
Second, you work with grace in deciding to do good.
And the same is true for the good act that you decide to do.

(1) enables us to cooperate
(2) cooperates with us
The difference is that (1) enables the cooperation, and then we can respond by refusing to cooperate, in which case (2) is not given, or we can respond by cooperating with (2).

Alright, this gets back to my original question. If (2) is not given we cannot be resisting it, which means we are resisting (1) after the fact.

 

[Ron_Conte]

But it would be correct to say that God acts, then we act, if we are resisting?

Yes. God acts with prevenient grace, even to the wicked. If we resist, the act of resisting grace is our act alone; it is not cooperative with the grace of God.

Alright, this gets back to my original question. If (2) is not given we cannot be resisting it, which means we are resisting (1) after the fact.

(1) prevenient grace is given, and it has its full effect of enabling us to avoid sin, for example.
(2) then if we choose to sin, we have rejected cooperating grace, but not prevenient grace. We already received from God the ability to avoid sin, and we chose not to exercise that abililty by cooperating with grace.

 

[ryanoneil]

(1) enables us to cooperate
(2) cooperates with us

In addition, this would also be true. Correct?

(1) moves man’s will toward the good by virtue of grace alone.
(2) wills the movement of the will by virtue of grace along with human freewill.