Question 

Dear father Angelo,

I’d like to ask a question about the relationship between grace and nature: can a man somehow prepare himself for the effective graft of supernatural grace? If so, does this preparation (for example, by practicing a right moral life) already happen under the influence of divine grace? Thank you for the possible clarifications. 

Best regards

Priest’s answer

Dear friend,

1.so as to solve the question it’s necessary to remember that grace is a supernatural gift of God, allowing man to participate in His divine life. Now, given the rather infinite disparity between the natural order and the supernatural one, we need to say that there’s no way a man can prepare himself for the supernatural order if he’s not invited by God Himself. Jesus is very clear on that: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6,44; thebiblegateway.com) and “no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (John 6,65; thebiblegateaway.com).

2. Saint Thomas comments: “Now, if a man could prepare himself, he would not need to be drawn by another. Hence man cannot prepare himself without the help of grace” (Summa Theologiae, I-II, 109, 6, sed.contra; Benziger Bros edition,1947; translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province).

3. In this preparation man is not inert because “the conversion of man to God happens through the free arbitration; and that’s why it’s commanded to man to convert to God. But the free arbitration can’t turn to God, if God doesn’t bend him towards Himself, according to Jeremiah’s expressions: “Restore me, and I will return, because you are the Lord my God” (thebiblegateaway.com); “Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return” (Lam 5,21; thebiblegateaway.com) (Ib.,ad 1).

4. Referring to your precise question, if a man can prepare himself to receive more effectively the sanctifying grace, there’s a theological statement that sounds like this: “to the man who does what he’s supposed to do, God doesn’t deny the grace. This doesn’t mean though, that one can deserve grace because when he does something that’s within his power it “means the power that he has under the motion of God” (Ib., ad 2, edited by the translator). In this sense Jesus said: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15,5; thebiblegateaway.com).

5.This is to say that: “as grace is divided into operating and cooperating, with regard to its diverse effects it is also divided into preceding  and subsequent. Now there are five effects of grace in us: of these, the first is, to heal the soul; the second, to desire good; the third, to carry into effect the good proposed; the fourth, to persevere in the  good; the fifth, to reach glory. And hence grace, inasmuch as it causes the first effect in us, is called preceding with respect to the second, and inasmuch as it causes the second, it is called subsequent with respect to the first effect. And as one effect is posterior to this effect, and prior to that, so may grace be called preceding and subsequent on account of the same effect viewed relatively to others. And this is what Augustine says: “It is prevenient, inasmuch as it heals, and subsequent, inasmuch as, being healed, we are strengthened; it is prevenient, inasmuch as we are called, and subsequent, inasmuch as we are glorified” (De natura e gratia, 31) (Summa Theologiae, I-II, 111, 3; Benziger Bros edition,1947; translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province).

6. That’s why the canon 4 of the second Council of Orange says that God doesn’t await our will to be cleansed from sin, but He Himself inspires and moves in order to be cleansed. In fact the Holy Scripture says: “The will is prepared by the Lord” (Proverbs 8,35: thebiblegateaway.com), “For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philip. 2,13; thebiblegateway.com).

Wishing you all the best, I bless you and remember you in my prayer

Father Angelo

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