Thanks! Hank
Grace: "A biblical and theological term used in a wide variety of ways. According to Catholic teaching, grace is a supernatural gift of God bestowed upon a person with a view to salvation and sanctification. Understood in this sense, there are three kinds of grace: (1) uncreated grace refers to the abiding presence of the Holy Trinity in the souls of the just; (2) created or sanctifying grace is a created sharing or participation in the life of God himself; (3) actual grace is a transient help of God which enlightens the mind and strengthens the will to do good and avoid evil. Grace is given to human beings through the merits of Jesus Christ and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. The principal means of growing in grace are prayer, the sacraments (especially the Eucharist) and good works. Sanctifying grace is lost by the commision of mortal sin."
Heres another: Grace: "A free gift of God to man (and angels), grace is a created sharing or participation in the life of God. It is given to men through the merits of Christ and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It is necessary for salvation. The principal means of grace are the sacraments, prayer and good works.
Sanctyfing or habitual grace makes persons holy and pleasing to God, adopted children of God, members of Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, heirs of heaven capable of supernaturally meritorious acts. With grace, God gives persons the supernatural virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments of baptism and penance were instituted to give grace to those who do not have it; the other sacraments, to increase it in those already in the state of grace. The means for growth in holiness, or the increase of grace, are prayer, the sacraments, and good works. Sanctifying grace is lost by the commission of serious sin.
Actual grace is a supernatural help of God which enlightens and strengthens a person to do good and to avoid evil. It is not a permanent quality, like sanctifying grace. It is necessary for the performance of supernatural acts. It can be resisted and refused. Persons in the state of sin are given actual grace to lead them to repentance."
Hope that helps.
"God, as we have seen, did not give man a merely natural end or destination-a destination which he could attain by the use of his natural powers of understanding and free will. From the very beginning He lifted him up to a share in the life of God, as far as a creature can share it. He destined man to see God face to face and so be happy with Him forever. He made him capable of attaining this destiny by lifting him up to a higher level of life, to a life infinitely above his natural life, to the supernatural life. In other words, God set before His rational creatures from the beginning a supernatural end, and placed them in a supernatural relation to Himself, and thus founded what is called a supernatural order. Since He was not obliged to do this, and since man had no claim to such a destiny, we call this act of God's love and mercy a Grace; that is, a favor or free gift to man. By this grace man is made a sharer in the holiness of God; hence it is called sanctifying (holy making) grace.
The supernatural order is disturbed by sin. It could only be restored by the still greater mystery of the elevation of human nature to a personal union with the Son of God. By His Passion and Death Christ not only gave adequate satisfaction to God for the sins of men, but also restored the supernatural order by gaining for men the power to be made the sons of God and heirs of Heaven. "As many as recieve Him, He gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His name." (John 1, 12)