Youcat commented through CCC – Question n. 338 – Part I.

YOUCAT Question n. 338 – Part I. What is grace?

(Youcat answer) By grace we mean God’s free, loving gift to us, his helping goodness, the vitality that comes from him. Through the Cross and Resurrection, God devotes himself entirely to us and communicates himself to us in grace. Grace is everything God grants us, without our deserving it in the least.

A deepening through CCC

(CCC 1996) Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life (Cf. Jn 1:12-18; 17:3; Rom 8:14-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4). (CCC 1997) Grace is a participation in the life of God. It introduces us into the intimacy of Trinitarian life: by Baptism the Christian participates in the grace of Christ, the Head of his Body. As an "adopted son" he can henceforth call God "Father," in union with the only Son. He receives the life of the Spirit who breathes charity into him and who forms the Church.

Reflecting and meditating 

(Youcat comment) “Grace”, says Pope Benedict XVI, “is being looked upon by God, our being touched by his love”. Grace is not a thing, but rather God’s communication of himself to men. God never gives less than himself. In grace we are in God.

(CCC Comment)

(CCC 1998) This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God's gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature (Cf. 1 Cor 2:7-9).     

(This question: What is grace?  is continued)