Catholic families should have a basic understanding of what sanctifying grace is and how to receive it. In our Catholic faith, the Church teaches we can’t get to heaven and have eternal life with God without having this special grace within us when we die.
1. What is Sanctifying Grace?
After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him. Matthew 3:16
A Catholic Definition of Sanctifying Grace:
Sanctifying grace is a gift given freely and permanently to us by God through our baptism that makes the soul holy and pleasing to God. With sanctifying grace, God infuses the gifts of the Holy Spirit within our souls.
- Sanctify – The word sanctify means to make something holy, sacred, and pure.
- Grace – The word grace in the general sense means unmerited favor from God.
Sanctifying Grace is a Gift from God
The Catechism of the Catholic Church’s provides a definition about sanctifying grace:
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. Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church #2000
Sanctifying Grace is Pleasing to God
When we are in a state of grace, we have the indwelling of the Holy Trinity within us!
“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. John 14:23b
Sanctifying grace is the grace that makes the soul holy and pleasing to God. There are many graces God has given the Church. Sanctifying grace is the most important one because it is the grace that allow us to participate in the Divine life with God.
“Grace and the gift of the Trinity are given by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.” – St. Athanasius
Sacrament of Baptism
We are anointed with God’s sanctifying grace at our baptism. It is a free, gratuitous gift from God. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and makes us a new creation in Christ.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Increasing in God’s Grace
Sanctifying grace helps the soul to grow and increase in virtue, charity, avoid sin, and live in a deeper communion with God. This special grace can be increased in our souls through the various means of the Church. Here are some examples:
- Sacraments: Frequent the Church’s sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
- Prayer: Vocal prayer, meditative prayer, and contemplative prayer.
- Daily Bible study: Learning and pondering the Word in your heart.
- Lectio Divina: An ancient meditation on God’s Word.
- Works of Mercy: Spiritual and corporal works of mercy for others.
- Obedience: Obedience to God’s will and His commandments.
Sacrament of the Eucharist
Catholic Families Increasing in Grace
Catholic families can increase in God’s grace by receiving and adoring the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist has been celebrated in the Church since the apostles.
They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Acts 2:42
Receiving the Eucharist
Jesus teaches us in the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 6, than unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have no life in Him (Jn 6:53). Our souls need to be nourished by the Eucharist just as our bodies need to be nourished with food.
“Just as bread from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread but the Eucharist, made up of two elements, one earthly and one heavenly, so also our bodies, in receiving the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, for they have the hope of resurrection.” – St. Irenaeus
Adoration of the Eucharist
Every Catholic family should make frequent trips to visit Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. In the Blessed Sacrament, we adore Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. As Catholics, we believe we receive graces when we visit Christ and adore Him.
“Do you want Our Lord to grant you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to grant you only a few? Visit Him only seldom.” – St. John Bosco
Unmerited Grace
The main thing to keep in mind about sanctifying grace is that it is an unmerited grace given to us by God through our baptism that makes the soul holy. The more we strive to grow in holiness through the sacraments, the more graces we will receive from God.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
2. Sanctifying Grace in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of The Catholic Church’s Definition of Sanctifying Grace
God breathes His life into us when we receive His sanctifying grace at baptism. The soul is made holy through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The holy sacraments of the Catholic Church help to keep our souls clean, healthy, and in right order with God.
Sanctifying grace is the gratuitous gift of his life that God makes to us; it is infused by the Holy Spirit into the soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it. #2023
Overview of Sanctifying Grace in the Catechism
| Reference | Description | Catechism # |
|---|---|---|
| Favor | Grace is favor, free, undeserved, God gives us… | 1996 |
| Divine life | Grace is participation in the life of God… | 1997 |
| Supernatural | Supernatural initiative dependent on God… | 1998 |
| Infused | Grace of Christ, infused by the Holy Spirit in soul… | 1999 |
| Perfects | Perfects/sanctifies soul in order to live with God… | 2000 |
Characteristics of Sanctifying Grace
Reflecting on the wisdom of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we learn that sanctifying grace has certain characteristics associated with it considered below.
Favor
Grace is unmerited favor given to us freely by God (through baptism).
Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. John 17:3
Divine Life
Sanctifying grace enables us to participate in the Divine life of God through holy communion with Him as adopted sons and daughters of God.
As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Galatians 4:6
Supernatural
Grace is a supernatural gift that only God can graciously give us through His love for us. Like the vocation to eternal life with God, it is beyond human understanding. We are called to have faith in Christ, to love Him, and to be with Him always.
Let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. Hebrews 4:16
Infused
The grace of Christ is infused into our souls by the work of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit heals the human soul from sin and sanctifies it.
Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14
Perfects
Sanctifying grace helps the soul to live with God, keep His commandments, and love others the way God loves us freely and unconditionally.
Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Mt 5:48
3. How Does Sanctifying Grace Differ from Actual Grace?
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 1 Corinthians 16:23
There are two primary kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace. Both graces are supernatural gifts given to us by God, and they are both needed for our salvation. This table below helps show the similarities and differences between the two graces.
Overview of Sanctifying Grace and Actual Grace
| Description | Sanctifying Grace | Actual Grace |
|---|---|---|
| Baptism | provides | increases |
| Confession | restores | increases |
| Confirmation | increases | increases |
| Eucharist | increases | increases |
| Anointing of sick | increases | increases |
| Matrimony | increases | increases |
| Holy Orders | increases | increases |
| Duration | permanent | temporary |
| Venial sins | decreases | decreases |
| Mortal sin | takes away | decreases |
| Good deeds | increases | involved |
| Prayer | increases | increases |
| Temptations | caution | protection |
The Conversion of Saul (St. Paul)
Actual Grace Example
When Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians there, the light of Christ flashed upon him. Saul fell off his horse and had to make a decision to accept or reject Jesus in his heart. Saul chose to accept Christ. This is an example of actual grace.
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Acts 9:4b
Sanctifying Grace Example
Just three days later Saul was baptized in Christ, and he wasted no time in proclaiming in the synagogues that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This surge within Paul to go out and proclaim Christ to the world was the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity was dwelling within Paul from his baptism. The breath of God flowed within him.
He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Acts 9:19b-20
St. Paul’s Sanctifying Grace
It says in the book of Galatians, St. Paul was eager to help the poor.
We were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do. Galatians 2:10
That’s a good way to measure sanctifying grace. It means you are clean of heart.
The man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just will not keep his good works to himself but will see to it that these admirable fountains send out their streams for the good of others. Again, The man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth will order his life so as to contribute to the common good. – St. John Chrysostom
When you have sanctifying grace, you are in friendship with the Lord. You want to be like Him, who in the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel says the Word is “full of grace and truth (Jn 1:14).” The grace of the holy God within you is eager to be light for others with spiritual and corporal works of mercy and charitable to others in need.
“The Eucharist commits us to the poor…” CCC 1397
4. Receiving Sanctifying Grace (3 Steps)
This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us, that He has given us of His Spirit. 1 John 4:13
Step #1: Accept Jesus Christ in Your Heart.
Accept Jesus Christ in your heart, and believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father…” – From the Nicene Creed
Step #2: Attend RCIA at Your Catholic Parish.
Wherever you are in the world, find an RCIA program to enroll in at your nearest Roman Catholic parish. RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
Step #3: Get Baptized in Christ.
Receive the sacrament of baptism and receive God’s gracious gift of sanctifying grace!
“By giving us his Son, whom He did not spare precisely so that He might spare us, God bestowed on us at once every good: grace, love and heaven.” – St. Alphonsus Liguori
5. What Effect Does Sanctifying Grace Have on a Baptized Soul?
Live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10
Catholic Families in Christ
Catholic families should have an understanding of what sanctifying grace does when it is flowing within a soul that is baptized in Christ and living in a state of grace.
#1 It makes the soul holy and pleasing to God.
Those who have sanctifying grace in their souls are receiving graces from the Holy Spirit, and their souls are pleasing to God. Think of the Hail Mary Prayer:
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!…”
Not only does your soul accommodate the Holy Spirit when you have sanctifying grace, but you are also prone to good works prompted by the Spirit. This pleases God.
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Matthew 25:34-36
#2 It makes us adopted children of God.
Children follow their parents. It is no different with one who has sanctifying grace. A soul with sanctifying grace will be led by the Holy Spirit and be fruitful for the Lord.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14
#3 It makes us temples of the Holy Spirit.
I believe this is the most important thing about sanctifying grace. When you have it, the triune God is dwelling within you . God is walking the hallways of your soul.
“It can easily be shown from examples both in the Old Testament and the New that the Spirit changes those in whom He comes to dwell; He so transforms them that they begin to live a completely new kind of life.” – St. Cyril of Alexandria
#4 It gives us the right to heaven.
Sanctifying grace gives us the right to heaven because heaven dwells within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. The “wedding garment” of sanctifying grace is a must! We cannot expect to receive salvation in Christ if we have refused Him.
“Sanctifying grace is like a new garment, so it is represented by the wedding garment and the Parable of the Wedding Feast.” Source: The Catechism Explained, Fr. Francis Spirago
Christ will inspect us at the judgment. Not everyone will have a wedding garment.
My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Matthew 22:12
6. Can I Lose Sanctifying Grace?
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life…there is such a thing as deadly sin. 1 John 5:16
Mortal Sin
You can lose your sanctifying grace with God through mortal sin. Mortal sin deprives the soul of the divine and spiritual life with God. Mortal sin also displeases God.
It is your sins that make God hide His face so that He does not hear you. Isaiah 59:2b
4 Examples of Mortal Sin
- Grave matters of pride
- Fornication
- Viewing pornography on the internet
- Deliberately missing Mass on Sunday (CCC 2181)
“Without sanctifying grace, the soul is without God; and without God, the soul becomes the devil’s.” Source: My Catholic Faith, Lesson #39
3 Conditions of Mortal Sin
- Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter.
- Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner.
- Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner
You can find more information about mortal sin here: List of Mortal Sins.
“God said: My spirit will not remain in men, for they are flesh. God thus shows that spiritual grace is repelled by uncleanness of the flesh and by the stain of more serious sin.” – St. Ambrose
Restoring Sanctifying Grace
If we feel the weight of sin on our conscience we should go to the sacrament of confession as soon as possible. When we confess our sins with a contrite heart, absolution from the priest restores sanctifying grace, the breath of God, in our souls.
7. What is Living in a State of Grace?
The righteous must still do right, and the holy still be holy.” Revelation 22:11b
Church Teaching: Live in a State of Grace
The Catholic Church has taught throughout the centuries that we will never know for sure, (even the most saintly people), if we are living in a state of grace (i.e. sanctifying grace) unless it has been revealed to us by a special revelation from God.
CANON XVI. – If any one says, that he will for certain, of an absolute and infallible certainty, have that great gift of perseverance unto the end,-unless he have learned this by special revelation; let him be anathema (accursed). Source: The Council of Trent, Sixth Session, Canons
Spiritual Protection from Evil Influences
I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. John 7:15
The father of the family should assess whether he and his family are living in a state of grace. This is important because the father of the family has been given the authority by God to bless his wife and children. Living in a state of grace is a Catholic family’s #1 line of defense for spiritual protection from extraordinary evil influences.
Here are 20 ways to help families live in a state of grace: Spiritual Protection.
8. What Are Some Scriptural Examples of Sanctifying Grace?
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. John 6:56
The Bible has numerous verses about sanctifying grace. We will consider 4 verses. The main thing to keep in mind here is the Holy Spirit, the dispenser of God’s grace.
#1 Christ has earned for us the gift of grace.
All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24
As Catholics, we have received unmerited favor from God through our baptism. We are members of His covenant family. When Christ died for us on the cross, He took away our sins through the shedding of His Precious Blood . It is through His blood we have been sanctified, redeemed in Christ, and freed from the slavery of sin.
“Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us…” Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church #2003
#2 Bodies with sanctifying grace flowing within them are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
It is important to note here that in this context St. Paul is talking about the physical body and not the soul. When we are baptized, we share in the same spirit and holy attributes of Christ such as chastity and the physical act of worship due to God.
“Sanctifying grace divinizes our bodies. It makes them holy. It makes them temples.” – Dr. Scott Hahn
#3 A soul with sanctifying grace will be led by the Holy Spirit to do good works for the Lord.
Every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Matthew 7:17-19
A soul living in a state of grace keeps the commandments of God. Speech will be wholesome and conduct will be orderly. The soul is rooted in scripture, watered by the Spirit, and receives growth through living a life of repentance and service to God.
“Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit.” – St. Cyril of Jerusalem
#4 Those who die with sanctifying grace in their souls will be with God forever.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept. John 14:16-17b
If you pass from this world in a state of grace with God, you have been obedient to Him to the end just as Christ was always obedient to the Father. Love is truly the answer here. When the Spirit dwells within us, we love God and we love each other.
“Earn for yourself the psalmist’s praise: He gave freely to the poor; his righteousness will endure forever.” – St. Basil
9. Recap
I hope you have enjoyed this post about sanctifying grace. As a recap:
- Receive: We receive sanctifying grace when we are baptized in Christ.
- Lose: We can fall from grace by living in a state of mortal sin.
- Restore: Sanctifying grace is restored through the sacrament of confession.
- Increase: We increase in grace by living a repentant life in obedience to God.
“We shall share Christ’s power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.” – St. Charles Borromeo
Resources about Grace:
Sensus Fidelium has several videos about sanctifying grace: Sensus Fidelium.
Including Fr. Chad Ripperger, who gives a lecture about God’s grace: Grace.
Catholic author, Jesse Romero, gives a lecture about: Living in a state of grace.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaching about the Grace of God.
Christ Jesus is the Source of God’s Grace
If you want to live in a state of grace, you have to make Christ the center of your life. When you come to Jesus in faith, you are leaving your old way of life behind you in obedience to Christ. As the scripture says, rivers of living water will flow. Let Christ’s grace flow in you through the Word and the Sacraments.
Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'” He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in Him were to receive.” John 7:37b-38
