Redemption, Grace, & Free Will
As we continue our journey through Lent, let us remember that part of what it means to have been created in the image and likeness of God is that we possess gifts from God that set us apart from the rest of his creatures: an immortal soul, rational intellect, and free will. Because we have complete freedom, we can use our intellect and will to choose to do good or evil – and to face the consequences for our choices. If we choose good, to conform ourselves to the will of God, we will find ourselves on the road to perfection and holiness.
CCC 1704: “The human person participates in the light and power of the divine Spirit. By his reason, he is capable of understanding the order of things established by the Creator. By free will, he is capable of directing himself toward his true good. He finds his perfection "in seeking and loving what is true and good."
It is impossible to answer’s God’s call to holiness and conform one’s life to Christ by human effort and free will alone, But God does not expect us to achieve perfection without his assistance. Instead, through the super abundance of graces of the redemption merited by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, God offers the means for everyone to lead lives of holiness if they choose to do so.
The grace of redemption comes to us through the Sacrament of Baptism. Christ taught that Baptism is necessary for salvation:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.” (Jn 3:5-6)
Grace brings the baptized into the very life of the Blessed Trinity, the divine life to which God calls us. It forgives all personal sins as well as Original Sin, restoring us to the original holiness into which we were created and making us adopted children of God. The grace of the Sacrament of Baptism is called sanctifying grace because it sanctifies us, making us holy, by drawing us into communion with the Blessed Trinity.
Concupiscence, or our inclination to sin, remains part of the human condition even after Baptism. Unfortunately, sanctifying grace can be lost through mortal sin, but it can also be restored through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In times of temptation, or whenever we require strength to do good and avoid evil, the Holy Spirit supplies us with actual grace to help us act in accordance with the will of God.
“No trial has come to you, but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13)
Grace does not force itself upon anyone but assists each person to exercise true freedom, desire what ought to be desired, and achieve what ought to be achieved. We must make the personal and willful choice to follow Christ and to seek holiness, but it is the grace of God that grants us the strength to live out that choice. By accepting this grace, we reap its benefits: the divine assistance to believe in God and to live according to his will. This choice to respond to the universal call to holiness, if it indeed is a genuine commitment, will be evident in how we live our lives.
“The intellectual nature of the human person is perfected by wisdom and needs to be, for wisdom gently attracts the mind of man to a quest and a love for what is true and good. Steeped in wisdom, man passes through visible realities to those which are unseen… In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience, when necessary, speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man.” [ PASTORAL CONSTITUTION ON THE CHURCH IN THE MODERN WORLD, GAUDIUM ET SPES/Vatican II document, 15:2;16:1]
—Deacon Gerry Flamm
“Dear children, in this time of grace, anew, I am calling you to offer your lives to God that He may lead you towards the resurrection through your personal conversion. Little children, God is near to you and heeds your prayers, but you are lulled to sleep, and that is why He sent me to you to awaken you, and that you may shine holiness like a spring flower. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
