We do not live by faith in God’s intervention. We live by faith in God’s grace when there is no intervention. from When God Interrupts
00463 – When God Doesn’t Intervene
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00462 – Transformation is Always Grace
Transformation is always grace. We sometimes think that although we’re “saved by grace,” we’re supposed to change by effort.
00461 – Bringing God’s Presence Near
The first way in which a soul is united with God is through salvation, solely by grace, This is followed by a period in which a saved soul comes to know God through a series of experiences, some of which bring it into closer union with him and some take it further...
00460 – Grace and Love
Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, and nothing I can do to make God love me less. It means that I, even I who deserve the opposite, am invited to take my place at the table in God’s family.
00457 – Forgiveness: A Gift of Grace
And ultimately forgiveness is a gift of grace rather than an act of will. I have to be willing to forgive, but I cannot will myself to forgive. I can forgive with my mind, but forgiveness is finally a matter of the heart. And the forgiveness of the heart comes from...
00418 – Called to Follow Christ
When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to his person. The grace of his call bursts all the bonds of legalism. It is a gracious call, a gracious commandment. It transcends the difference between the law and the gospel. Christ...
00405 – “Catching Fire” on Our Journey with God
On our soul-tending journey, our ultimate desire is for our lives with God to “catch fire” in such a way that we can set ablaze the spiritual lives of others. The challenge is to move beyond our traditional understanding of “being Christian” and enter together young...
00355 – Our Calling Won’t Bring Contentment
Beyond and through every earthly love and every earthly duty, we are to hear the call of God. On the one hand, we are called to the God who can put an end to our work and bring fulfillment to our loves and labors… But on the other hand, this call will often exact a...
00351 – Praying for Others
I too had noticed that our prayers for others flow more easily than those we offer on our own behalf. And it would be nice to accept your view that this just shows we are made to live by charity. I’m afraid, however, I detect two much less attractive reasons for the...
00329 – Giving Birth
What help is it to me that Mary is full of grace, if I am not also full of grace? And what help is it to me that the Father gives birth to his Son unless I, too, give birth to him? It is for this reason that God gives birth to his Son and lies in the maternity bed so...