From the Rector, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 9/27/2020

The Holy Ghost, Grace, and Virtue

4th Lesson

1. Who is the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost is God and the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

2. From whom does the Holy Ghost proceed? The Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son.

3. Is the Holy Ghost equal to the Father and the Son? The Holy Ghost is equal to the Father and the Son, because He is God.

4. What does the Holy Ghost do for the salvation of mankind? The Holy Ghost dwells in the Church as the source of its life and sanctifies souls through the gift of grace.

5. What is grace? Grace is a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us through the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation.

6. How many kinds of grace are there? There are two kinds of grace: sanctifying grace and actual grace.

7. What is sanctifying grace and what does it do? Sanctifying grace is that grace which confers on our souls a new life, that is, a sharing in the life of God Himself. It makes us holy and pleasing to God, makes us His children, makes us temples of the Holy Spirit, and gives us the right to heaven.

8. What is actual grace? Actual grace is a supernatural help of God which enlightens our mind and strengthens our will to do good and to avoid evil.

9. Can we resist the grace of God? We can resist the grace of God, for our will is free, and God does not force us to accept His grace.

10. Is grace necessary for salvation? Sanctifying grace is necessary for salvation because it is the supernatural life, which alone enables us to attain the supernatural happiness of heaven. Actual grace is necessary for all who have attained the use of reason, because without it we cannot long resist the power of temptation or perform other actions which merit a reward in heaven.

11. What are the principal ways of obtaining grace? The principal ways of obtaining grace are prayer and the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist

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12. How can we make our most ordinary actions merit a heavenly reward? We can make our most ordinary actions merit a heavenly reward by doing them for the love of God and by keeping ourselves in the state of grace.

13. What are the chief supernatural powers that are bestowed on our souls with sanctifying grace? The chief supernatural powers that are bestowed on our souls with sanctifying grace are the three theological virtues (faith, hope, charity) and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord).

14. Are there any other virtues besides the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity? Besides the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity there are other virtues, called moral virtues, which dispose us to lead moral, or good lives, by aiding us to treat persons and things in the right way, that is, according to the will of God. The chief moral virtues are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; these are called cardinal virtues.

-Fr. Brown

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