“Grace does not destroy nature but perfects it.” “Grace does not remove nature but fulfills it.” (St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century) The words ‘perfects’ and ‘fulfills’ refer to the notions of progress and growth. We often hear people say that some thoughts, actions, and feelings are natural and for that reason are moral and acceptable. They may say, “It is ok because that is the way God made me. It is just natural.” What are we to make of sin? Is sin acceptable?
Are the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, anger and sloth acceptable because they occur naturally? That argument is hard to refute since it appears that all of us experience pride, envy others, want more, have addictions, want sex, get angry, and are sometimes lazy. Anyone who says they don’t experience at least some of these sins are hypocritical. What are we to do?
Perhaps our natural tendency to sin is matured by grace, the freely given gift of God that is a source of strength, guidance, and salvation. Pride, perfected by grace, leads to the virtues of humility and loving obedience. Envy, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of kindness and admiration. Greed, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of charity and generosity. Gluttony, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of temperance and self-control. Lust, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of chastity and purity. Anger, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of patience and forgiveness. Sloth, perfected by grace, becomes the virtues of diligence and zeal.
The process and progress from sin to virtue begins with our admission that we all have the natural inclination to sin in its many forms. Yet, it doesn’t end there. The Grace of God enters in and by this power and strength Jesus perfects our natural sinful selves to live lives of virtue, that is holiness. It might be ok for some to remain in the natural state of sin and make no progress toward holiness, but for Christians in love with Jesus and each other it is not enough. Having had a loving encounter with Jesus we want to become more. We want to go beyond our natural tendencies. We want to excel in virtue and holiness, becoming the best version of ourselves. Like St. Paul, we may never get there, but we can be more virtuous in our love for God and each other.
“May the Lord bless and keep you. May he let his face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you his peace.”
