These are 3 main “categories” of Graces and while they have many additional attributes, as well as other “categories”, (and subcategories) we are going to concentrate on these for now …
1). Actual Grace
These graces are tangible or at least so closely related to every day tangibles via the application of our human involvement that, in general, we consider them tangible.
Some examples:
The ability to cook well – gentleness – being good at woodworking – athletic abilities -having a big brain – ability to breath – walk – see -having a small brain.
Any positive attribute we humans have is an Actual Grace from God and is given to each as a gift that is not to be taken lightly, let alone abused, but instead should be honed throughout our lives into the utmost of what it can become, and used as a tool or shared as a gift for the benefit of present and future generations…
( Should God be “impressed” that our Nano-scientists have recently laid claim to the “discovery” of the sub-particles of the DNA molecules that govern many of these Actual Graces and are, rapidly and with prideful intent, attempting to “reinvent” some of these microscopic wheels?? Although they are having some serious troubles determining the functions of the “sense and anti-sense” portions …. Hmmmm what could be up with that ?)
Actual Grace would seem to be those graces we are given by a culmination of attributes passed on to us by our ancestors DNA as well as those things we developed by our sociological (as well as spiritual) path in life and are (by Gods Design through the use of our free will) able to become placed so deeply within our “being” that we can then pass them on to the next generation.
To which if an oversimplified logic may be interjected: (Here we are looking at this as the reverse side of the entire “sins of our fathers truth“) ( This is said bearing in mind, the scientific fact, that the human body replaces every cell within and without approx. once every seven years) …
Lets say someone is a severe alcoholic: To the point that it is almost guaranteed that the offspring of that person will suffer from Fetal Alcohol syndrome … but that person KICKS the habit (and even leaving “spiritual” out of this) with no physical or psychological attachments to alcohol present within that person for a period of at least seven years … it would seem impossible to pass on the negative trait to any offspring born after that time period…..Simply because each DNA strand that once contained the negative information was regenerated (reborn during the replication process) and would no longer contain that negative information therefore, that which would be passed on would be only positive or neutral character information .
2). Sanctifying Grace
These Graces are supposedly Non – tangible and to the 5 earthly senses this is true .. they cannot be seen with eyes- smelt with the nose- felt by touch – heard with ear -or tasted with tongue …
ALTHOUGH our Most Gracious Triune God… has seemingly allowed those that will “seek that they may find” Extensions of these earthly senses and glimpses of these Sanctifying Graces CAN actually be seen (or felt by the heart) through other humans when we view their (God Given) Virtues in action.
Sanctifying Graces are also something that are “tangible” in the sense that even though we don’t know “what” they are we do know “where” they are.
Gods Holy Tradition has taught us “where” to Seek:
Scripture (The Bible) is the outpouring of those Sanctifying Graces attainable by THE WORD that is JESUS ….through which the Holy Spirit can easily and simply call upon each persons Virtues and unit Spirit to spirit exhorting those virtues into action, thereby elevating that individuals (S)spirit, like onto Gods Own..
Scripture (The Bible) is the outpouring of instructions (or paths) for mankind to follow to: The Sacraments which actually contain the Sanctifying Graces implied within The Inspired Words of Scripture ..and brought to the 5 earthly senses in manners that will remain (to those senses) “mysterious” until the end of time. (as time allows we will look at 7 sacraments individually and ponder on some of the ways the “tangible” aspects lead body and mind to encounter Spirit)
All of which is calling each to embrace the Virtuous attributes of their personal lives and exercise them with every fiber of our Actual Graces becoming sanctified allowing each person and all mankind the path to full and total Sanctification of Soul with The Father through The Son by the workings of The Holy Spirit…
3). Signal Grace (Signs and Wonders)
A little more time is going to be spent on this type of grace because even though different faith practices call this type of grace by different names, it seems to be the type so many humans these days are grasping for in an effort to be assured of a connection with God ..
NO we can not see the words “Signal Grace” anywhere in the Bible, at least not in a row, any more than there has ever been found the word “Trinity”.
Although most do believe in the Trinity (for many reasons but) Scripturally because at the River with John the Baptist we find the Son being Baptized, the Holy Spirit present in the form of a Dove, and the Fathers Voice being Heard from above. …ALL AT THE SAME TIME…. which says to me (and many) Three United as One = “Trinity”.
This entire episode at the River with John the Baptist, itself, would seem to be one of those, Biblically recorded, “Signal Graces” (Miracles or Signs and Wonders) given for all mankind so that the Triune Nature of God would not be too hard to understand. but anyway:
These Graces are very tangible but also very mysterious. Much like any earthly “signal” (as one that a catcher behind the plate will give to a pitcher on the mound or the Team Coach on the sideline sends to all of His Players, in a baseball game ) these graces are given by God to individuals, letting them know they are on the right path or on the wrong path .. and can come in 7x7x7 forms. From Inklings of the Holy Spirit – to Apparitions of all sorts – to Collapse of Governments.
It is well known that these graces are only as trustworthy (in witness) as the receivers Virtue of Discernment, for without Heavenly Discernment we will find ourselves giving into all form of superstitions and twisted notions of “God said this” and “God said that to me” and are all to often mistaken for that which has Sanctified the soul and that no further action is needed. This mistaken judgment causes some to think that, at that point, they are “full of grace” or God wouldn’t have contacted them.
A few examples as follows:
1). A little girl is given 2 sandwiches, by her mother, for lunch. The mean little boy in her class (that is feared and disliked by all) was given a kick in the shorts and no lunch as usual by his dad that morning.
The little girl although afraid (and not knowing why but following an inkling of the Holy Spirit) DID approach the boy and offer 1 1/2 sandwiches to the boy. He accepted the Gift and (not knowing why but following an inkling of the Holy Spirit and eating his fill ) said “Thank You” to the girl (and really meant it) and for the rest of recess he was pretty decent, not only to the first little girl .. but almost made friends with a couple her other friends.
Although there were so many “Signal Graces” flashing around that playground it could light up most towns … The obvious one (that should lead to Sanctifying Grace) would be the inkling the little girl would learn to trust in overcoming fears, trusting in the locution (particular voice) of the Holy Spirit, and prompted by the reward of seeing her playmates join in the attempting to make friends in a normally volatile situation that she was allowed to initiate.
2). A middle aged man that enjoys his “morning cup of coffee” and has taken a liking to the “pipe and tobacco” and for many years kept the pleasure of both of these things within modest consumption, finding the result to be both uplifting to his spirit and soothing to the nerves… But as the years went by … let down his guard and the pipe became a permanent extension of his facial features and sub-consciously considered the coffee cup holder a deciding factor in the purchase of vehicles.
One day he got angry when he was out of coffee and couldn’t find any tobacco.. and this was compiled a couple months later when he started having sharp pains in the lower abdomen.
Fearing the dreaded prostate cancer that his doctors diagnosis was leaning toward( and wanting to schedule a biopsy for testing of )he had an Inkling that cold turkey quitting( these 2 now bad habits ) and adding some herbal tea and a couple vitamins to his diet( known to help in this area )would help the pains to go away .Also he decided to beckon God to perform a miraculous healing…. AND BAMM… the pain was gone overnight …. The next visit to the doctor revealed that there was no need for a biopsy and that with proper diet being followed ( as insisted upon by his trusted practitioner )there should be no reason his earthly life shouldn’t continue for decades to come….
In this scenario we first see “allowed pleasures”(which should be guarded by regularly giving thanks)turning into rudimentary vice which is a time when God DOES give all persons(attempting to live a righteous life)some “signal graces”, pointing out the error of the ways, in an effort to gently return His beloved child to the path that will lead to Heaven.
2a). In this scenario we see the “Inkling” of Spirit beckoning the turning away from vice, back to victorious or normal behavior,
But is it a “Signal Grace” from God or remnants of Actual Graces (common sense) given to Grandpa and passed on to this man? …
2b). In this scenario we see good medicine which should be accepted as a Gift of God,
But is the “insistence to follow proper diet” a Signal Grace from God or a God fearing Doctor exercising the virtue of wisdom?
2c). In this scenario we see a man turning to His Creator in a time of trial and seemingly the prayer was answered with an affirmative reply,
But should this be considered a Signal Grace of a Divine Intervention?,
Only God can know the answer to these three questions and He may or may not share that answer with “the man” at any time in his earthly life, even IF that mans virtue of Discernment is exercised on a regular basis …for maybe the Signal Grace in all of this, was intended for the mans bowling buddy, that when seeing HIS best friend going through all of this, HE decided to bypass this suffering in HIS life and quit drinking Brandy before noon ( in fact all together ) and within two years of saving all the money HE was spending on booze ..(and by cooperating with the further Inklings of the Holy Spirit) HE opened a food shelf, extending the lives of numerous people, that by experiencing HIS humility gave Praise and Thanksgiving to God. (and both of their bowling averages went up by 7 pins)
The only thing, this old man, knows for sure is “It is what it is” and that some of us overlook many of the signal graces given to us and when we do, “the enemy” gets on base far more often than he should …. and others of us see signal graces in every sparkle of sunlight on the dew… and while that isn’t all bad … sometimes those sparkles are just beautiful remnants of work Our God did many centuries ago and we are giving into superstition…
But now on to a true story:
My all-time favorite story of a signal grace… The Virgin Mary at the annunciation and again at the visitation.
3). For this to “be a true Signal Grace” in our own mind, one must believe the Inspired Word of God can be found within the Douay-Rheims or the King James “Protestant” Version of Scripture as well as other more traditional translations .
If we believe these translations to be true we will consider the dialogue of the Angel Gabriel who “stands before God” and the “filled with the Holy Spirit” words of Elizabeth.
The attempted is being made to critique this without “reading between the lines” too much, although attempting to interject some common sense, while considering the topic of SIGNAL GRACES..
3a).When looking at the demeanor of Mary the Blessed Virgin some things that we are told.
3a1). She wonders what can this greeting mean??(Her humility could not immediately accept being told that she was “Blessed among Women” by an Apparition and ONLY persons of Power or Royalty would receive a “Hail”). Imagine Her surprise at encountering an Angel, a heavenly being of tremendous stature.(and scripture says that He, Gabriel, needed to calm Her fears)
3a2). She is told not to worry about it and is lead by heaven to look at the situation of her cousin Elizabeth as a “proof”(or Signal Grace)that what Gabriel has said is indeed from God and a truth. Imagine the anticipation of a visit to her cousin to check it out. Yet even before a “proof” is ratified her love of God prompts Mary to make a declaration of Faith in Her own FIAT.
Now common sense tells us that she would have shared this experience with her parents or at least Joseph(as She was still a 14 or so year old “betrothed women of the era” and a virtuous Virgin of a Jewish family)and accountable to that family. So someone not only gave her “permission if you will” to go to Elizabeth and check it out.(the trip would have been arranged for and made possible by Mom and Dad and or Joseph and other family members in accordance with rules of the day)Which the very next verses within Scripture say this is exactly what was done …”in haste”
The Bible DOES tell us that Joseph wasn’t thinking too highly of this story until HE was assured by Heaven, at which time HE(to a certain extent)also said let it be done unto US.
3b). What happens when Mary comes to the home of the recently Muted( Priest – Uncle)Zackary and the(thought to be)Barren Older Cousin Elizabeth?(and bear in mind that any “barren woman” of the day was a real embarrassment to the Husband and the entire family unit, and Elizabeth was humbled all Her adult life by this situation as we are told in Luke 1: 24-25 )
The dialogue opens with the same heavenly words that made such an impact when Mary heard them for the first time from Gabriel.
Imagine the burst of wonderment upon hearing those same words repeated by a second reliable source …(“Blessed are You Among Women” as well as a the privileged knowledge of “and Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb”)
3b1). Can we not see this as a Signal Grace? … As well as the signal Grace sent to Joseph from heaven that He was considering taking a wrong path and the Signal Grace that (the Priest)Zachary received letting him know, he was to father John the Baptist?
3b2). Consider ourselves: “Modern men and women” so full of pride, having a hard time NOT considering it a “signal grace” if (within the same week)we have two family members tell us that our new hair dew certainly is fitting to our quest of being “graced” with beauty and charm…
4). How could Mary not consider this unusual …. unexpected….unsolicited phrase as a totally qualified Signal Grace …as DID Her Family. Even bursting into Her own dialogue of joy and thankfulness and praise and prophecy …(known traditionally as The Magnificat”)which itself is humble when held up to the backdrop of honor and glory that Gods plan for this Virgin of Virgins has revealed in scripture and throughout time.
IN CONCLUSION:
If you want to SEE a SANCTIFIED GRACE let your minds eye take a look at this one:
1). The signal grace which Mary received at the time of the annunciation, affirmed that she is indeed full of (at least) “Actual Grace” … (and me thinks that affirmation was for US more so than for HER)
2). While “believing’ the signal … She next, applied her Actual Graces through the usage of her free will, and working with that belief in the “signal” took it to the next level by putting that belief into action, when she went “In haste” to her cousins residence.. (in other words: announcing to others)
3). ..Upon entering the house …. that Signal grace was uplifted into Sanctifying Grace …as stated by the Holy Spirit ..(via Elizabeth) in the announcement (or re-announcement) of Her Blessed Nature ..
For it was “by the voice of” Mary that Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Spirit that John the Baptist would be Holy or Consecrated (that is set aside for use in Holy endeavors) “even from the womb” as we are told he would be in Luke 1:15.
4). In the next couple verses, traditionally known as, The Magnificat of The Blessed Virgin ….We read the description of what this Sanctified Grace looks or feels like ….
If we read the entire Chapter it is the FIRST RECORDED TIME (This old man has seen) where we are given a glimpse of a Sanctified Grace being spoken of in such detail. Possibly because it is THEE account of (that place in time) when “JUSTIFIED SIMPLIFIED HUMBLE SANCTIFIED GRACE ITSELF” entered this physical world. (for the first time)
Me thinks it is safe to say: By mimicking (within our own lives) this example (brought forth by The Word of God in this Scripture and) given to mankind in His Mother, a progression or pattern emerges, which needs to be followed, to turn our own actual graces into sanctified graces through the prompting of His signal graces.
It seems curiously simplified that the ONLY Virtue spoken of in this entire progression IS HUMILITY
One last favorite and true story:
1). In my travels there was found a Spirit Filled Pentecostal Church utilizing an “Outdoor Advertising Company” on a very large roadside sign …. Stating …
“IF YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A SIGN FROM GOD TO HELP YOU COME BACK TO YOUR FAITH ..THIS IS THAT SIGN”. hmmmmm was that a “Signal Grace”?
All in all Me thinks it doesn’t get much better then that for most of us. THEREFORE it should be accepted at its word, and always bear in mind:
With God all things are possible.