The State of Grace and Charity

Sanctifying grace makes one holy and pleasing to God and gives an estimable value to one’s good actions done with love.  If one lacks sanctifying grace, one is spiritually dead, and thus unable to do anything of value for eternal life.  This is clearly implied in the teaching of Scripture and of the magisterium.
 
At the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that he is the vine and they are the branches; if they remain in Him they will bear much fruit, but if they are cut off from Him they can do nothing for eternal life (Jn 15.4f).  Saint Paul teaches that whatever good deeds one accomplishes, if one does not have charity (and therefore the state of grace which always accompanies it), one gains nothing “If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing,” (1 Cor. 13.2).


Fr. Jeff Fasching