“The law indeed was given through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ.”

John 1:17

Amazing Grace

We hear a lot about grace both in church and in the world around us. But what exactly is grace? We say grace before meals, and the Spanish word gracias translates to thank you. And it certainly is an act of graciousness to give thanks in all things. The Catechism defines grace as, “God’s favor towards us, unearned and unmerited. By grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts and strengthens our wills.” Although we can never explicitly define it, we all know grace when we see it or experience it. We witness it in the flight of a bird, in the graceful movements of a professional dancer, and we hear it in an expertly rendered piece of music, either instrumentally or vocally. We experience it in the graciousness of those who show loving kindness to others, especially to those most in need of it. Grace is the loving favor of our creator, and it is a wonderful gift that should motivate us to live in a way that pleases God. Grace has tremendous saving power, and it should never cease to amaze us. In the words of a favorite hymn by John Newton, “Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”

gracedeacon@gwi.net