Afterwords: Graces from God
We go to Confession, our sins are forgiven, we are reconciled to God, and we have supernatural life again.
Or we might say to ourselves, "Maybe another time," and that particular supernatural impulse, that gratuitous grace, passes us by.
But another grace, another inspiration, is always on the way, God never abandons us.
Once we have supernatural life, once sanctifying grace is in our soul, we can increase it by every supernaturally good action we do: receiving Communion, saying prayers, performing the works of mercy.
It is easy to fall from grace, as we know.
The more solidly we respond to sanctifying grace, the more likely we can withstand temptations.
We must continuously work at maintaining sanctifying grace.
Once we achieve the supernatural life, we must continually seek God’s grace, continually respond to the graces God is working within us, inclining us to turn to him and do good.
This is what Saint Paul says when he instructs us: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain." (Philippians 2:12–16)