The Meaning of Sanctifying Grace vs. Actual Grace

The Catholic Church offers a helpful way of distinguishing between two kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace. This video explains what sanctifying grace and actual grace mean and how they are different. First, let's define grace. With the Catechism of the Catholic Church as our guide, let's offer these definitions: Grace is "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." (CCC, 1996) Sanctifying grace is "is an habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God, to act by his love." (CCC, 2000) Actual grace refers to "God's interventions, whether at the beginning of conversion or in the course of the work of sanctification." (CCC, 2000) To put things more simply: Grace is a gift of God's life. Sanctifying grace is the habitual experience of God's love. Actual grace is God's love at work in specific moments. An example of actual grace might be a revelatory moment of prayer. It could be a timely phone call or answer to a prayer. Grace is supernatural and therefore we cannot know these graces except by faith. Just because an experience feels good or we feel holy, doesn't mean we are experiencing grace. The best way to know by the fruits of our lives. We might ask: How do the blessings of God bear fruit by working through us? SUBSCRIBE for more Catholic videos: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thereligionteacher CONNECT WITH THE RELIGION TEACHER: -- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReligionTeacher -- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/religionteacher/ CONNECT WITH JARED: -- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jareddees/ -- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jareddees -- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jareddees/ ARE YOU A RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR? CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES: -- Activities: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/religious-education-activities/ -- Popular Lesson Plans: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/catholic-lesson-plans/ -- The Religion Teacher's Guide to Lesson Planning: https://www.thereligionteacher.com/guide-to-lesson-planning/ -- BECOME A MEMBER: Access hundreds of printable worksheets, class videos, and online courses here: https://members.thereligionteacher.com/join/