These distinctions you fail to make:
1) That all works begin with the grace of God and are carried through to completion by his grace.
2) That God works out no one’s salvation without his cooperation. The apostles, martyrs, saints and even those less are the vehicle by which God has chosen to work out our salvation, and it is only through them that salvation is worked out.
3) Our works, again begun and acted out through grace, do constitute meritorious action.
The fundamental error you make is that you deny the cooperation of men and assent of their will.
Finally, The Catechism of Trent is clearer and also more authoritative than that you cited: unfortunately newer is not better nor is the standard for such disputations. Actually, you’ll soon have me looking through the older Catechism if you keep this up.
Your own catechism denies this in black and white..."we can merit for ourselves and for others all the graces needed to attain eternal life."
The fundamental error you make is that you deny the cooperation of men and assent of their will.
Scripture tells us no man can "cooperate" with God nor "assent" to His wishes unless and until that man is born again by the Holy Spirit who then imputes to that man the righteousness, obedience and faith of Jesus Christ, according to the will of God and not men.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." -- Galatians 2:16
Rome pats itself on the back for what God alone accomplishes.
Really.
So... do you believe God to be sovereign? And...how can God "work out" someone's salvation when they, by the fact they are fallen (and by that nature), hate God? How could anyone in that circumstance "cooperate" with God?
Hoss