The State of Grace
“Lord it is good for us to be here” (Matt., 17:4)
Our Divine Saviour manifested His great love for His disciples when He allowed three of them to gaze on His glorified humanity for a brief time. The beauty of the vision was so enthralling that Peter, thinking that the glorious sight was to continue, pleaded to be allowed to remain on Mount Thabor forever with his Master and the two Old Testament Prophets, Moses and Elias.
Soon, however, the favoured disciples realised that this glorification of Our Lord was something transitory, and that before He was to be glorified permanently He must endure the sorrows of the Passion.
Beautiful as was the body of Christ when “His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as snow,” it was immeasurably less beautiful than a soul in the state of sanctifying grace. For sanctifying grace is a participation of the divine nature itself, and the divine nature is infinitely more glorious and beautiful than even the humanity of Christ.
The soul in possession of sanctifying grace is the temple of God Himself. If a person in the state of sanctifying grace could perceive the glory that resides in his own soul, he would cry out, “Lord, it is good for me to be with Thee. Let me remain ever united to Thee.” And to the soul in sanctifying grace God the Father says, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.”
Catholics who have little concern for possessing the state of grace and lightly reject it by committing mortal sin prove that their faith is very weak. If they realised what a great privilege it is to share in the beauty and majesty of God Himself and to be temples of the Holy Ghost, they would regard mortal sin as the worst possible evil and make every effort to avoid losing the state of grace.
Above all, they would have frequent recourse to the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, the most effective means of preserving and increasing the life of sanctifying grace in the soul. Another necessary means to this end is to avoid the near occasions of mortal sin.
Practical Application
Ask yourself if you are convinced that it is the most precious privilege you could enjoy to be in the state of grace. Do you make use of the means of preserving it by avoiding the near occasions of mortal sin and by frequently receiving the sacraments? If you have the misfortune to lose sanctifying grace, do you have immediate recourse to the sacrament of Penance? If you do thank God and say “Lord it is good for me to be here”
“Lord it is good for us to be here” (Matt., 17:4)
Our Divine Saviour manifested His great love for His disciples when He allowed three of them to gaze on His glorified humanity for a brief time. The beauty of the vision was so enthralling that Peter, thinking that the glorious sight was to continue, pleaded to be allowed to remain on Mount Thabor forever with his Master and the two Old Testament Prophets, Moses and Elias.
Soon, however, the favoured disciples realised that this glorification of Our Lord was something transitory, and that before He was to be glorified permanently He must endure the sorrows of the Passion.
Beautiful as was the body of Christ when “His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as snow,” it was immeasurably less beautiful than a soul in the state of sanctifying grace. For sanctifying grace is a participation of the divine nature itself, and the divine nature is infinitely more glorious and beautiful than even the humanity of Christ.
The soul in possession of sanctifying grace is the temple of God Himself. If a person in the state of sanctifying grace could perceive the glory that resides in his own soul, he would cry out, “Lord, it is good for me to be with Thee. Let me remain ever united to Thee.” And to the soul in sanctifying grace God the Father says, “This is my beloved child in whom I am well pleased.”
Catholics who have little concern for possessing the state of grace and lightly reject it by committing mortal sin prove that their faith is very weak. If they realised what a great privilege it is to share in the beauty and majesty of God Himself and to be temples of the Holy Ghost, they would regard mortal sin as the worst possible evil and make every effort to avoid losing the state of grace.
Above all, they would have frequent recourse to the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, the most effective means of preserving and increasing the life of sanctifying grace in the soul. Another necessary means to this end is to avoid the near occasions of mortal sin.
Practical Application
Ask yourself if you are convinced that it is the most precious privilege you could enjoy to be in the state of grace. Do you make use of the means of preserving it by avoiding the near occasions of mortal sin and by frequently receiving the sacraments? If you have the misfortune to lose sanctifying grace, do you have immediate recourse to the sacrament of Penance? If you do thank God and say “Lord it is good for me to be here”
