The state of grace

Temptations in daily life can indeed be overcome by being aware of them and with the aid of prayers. And when one grows in life of prayer (different from just increasing minutes or hours reciting set prayers), one experiences, along with peace of mind, a special change in the inner self. Spiritual masters call it God’s grace.

While it is difficult to exactly trace the movement of grace, one can surely experience moments of profound grace. In Christian theology and spirituality, “grace” plays an important role where it is understood as a gratuitous gift from God. It is not something that one can produce or earn or even own. Nor does it come to someone because of one’s own merit or good work. It is offered freely and in God’s own mysterious ways. A Psalm in the Bible elucidates it thus: “You (God) have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

A priest or a pastor usually begins a Christian worship with: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit accompany us all”. The great apostle Paul, after having persecuted the early Christians, one day suddenly experienced this grace and became a dedicated preacher of the good news of Jesus Christ. In this labour of love, however, he also encountered many problems, which in his own words, were “like a thorn in the flesh”. He wrote, “Concerning this, I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And he has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’”

A person who advances on a life of prayer needs to always remember this. Our prayers and our faithfulness to God do not mean that we would be rid of all our problems or temptations. For all one knows, the difficulties might appear even more challenging to handle. One would be even lured to abandon the progress one has made in prayer or even give up on God. But it is in such moments that one needs to be all the more attentive to God, hearing His gentle but firm whisper: “My grace is sufficient for you ”

And, finally, one needs to carry the inner conviction that however tempted one might be to give up on God, He never gives up on us, for we are His children. Can God ever stop showering His gracious love on His beloved children No. That’s why, perhaps, “Grace” is also a name that many Christian females are baptised with. Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religion, can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com