Grace.
It is a term we use quite often: Amazing Grace…Grace before meals…A grace period
But what does this word really mean? Why is grace so important?
St. Paul tells us in today’s first reading that Grace is a gift from God which empowers us to fulfill our vocation, and to live as witnesses of Christ’s love.
Grace is a God-given gift of the Holy Spirit, given to help us live our lives in response to God’s call, and to help us be people of good morals, following the model of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We have each been entrusted with great gifts, called to share them in order to build up the Kingdom of God. As Christ says in today’s Gospel, since much has been entrusted to us, much is expected of the servants of God. But God does not expect us to do it all on our own. This is where grace comes in, the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.
Even St. Paul admits that without the grace of God, he would be nowhere. It was the grace of God that called him, and the grace of God that empowered him to be a witness of Christ’s message.
This reminds me of a phrase: If God brings you to it, God’s grace will bring you through it.
To me, this means that we are guided by, inspired by, and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. No matter what we face, we do not face it alone; we have the Grace of God to draw upon.
However, God does not force Himself upon us. We must seek God and allow the Holy Spirit to act in and through us. We must empty ourselves and be open to the Grace God has in store for us. We must continually spend time with the Source, in order that His Grace can flow in us.
As Catholics, the Sacraments are this continual source of God’s grace for us. Through the Sacraments, we are continually filled with God’s grace. Every time we receive the Eucharist, every time we go to Reconciliation, we are filled and strengthened by the Grace of God.
Therefore, stay close to God. As Isaiah reminds us today in the Psalm: draw joyfully from the spring of salvation. Be filled with God’s grace. May it inspire, strengthen and guide you.
- Tricia Lothschutz
