In sacred scripture we read that man was created he had a perfect relationship with God. Man is the pinnacle of creation, and God gave man everything. In return the Lord asked man not to each of one tree in the garden. Man did not listen, rebelled, and had to face the consequences of sin for the first time. The sin of our first parents also applies to us, through original sin. We all have sinned, and the penalty for that sin is death. Saint Paul had the same opinion in Romans 6:23 which states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NRSV). However, the second person of the blessed Trinity, Jesus, through the incarnation, became man to atone and redeem us from our sin.
The Incarnation And Perfect Sacrifice
The incarnation was needed because we could not atone for our sin on our own. Only someone who was perfect, and without sin could do that. This perfect sacrifice, Jesus, would also show us the new law of grace. A way of living, or new law of grace, shows us a deeper understanding of the law.
It shows us how it was supposed to be lived from the beginning, and the divine Son of God, showed us how to live it. The new law is an interior, infused reality consisting in the grace of the Holy Spirit, received through faith in Jesus Christ and operating through charity. These virtues, which are also taught in 1 Corinthians 13, are faith, hope, and charity.
New Law, Virtues, And Life Impact
Since becoming a catholic these three virtues have been instrumental in my life. Faith is at the forefront, and the will of Christ is sought in everything that I do. Faith is the starting point for the New Law, and “the starting point for Christian morality” (Pinckaers 85).
As a father of four, a husband, and one income life throws many curve balls. Things have not been easy, but my wife and I maintain our hope in Christ. It is this hope, through faith, that help us persevere and see the good even in the roughest circumstance.
No matter how tight things are we see that there are those who are having much larger problems than ourselves. We strive to be good disciples, by not only having faith in Christ, but by also having charity. We trust God for our needs but realize that we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and strive to help whenever possible. We have found that the practice of the infused virtues has deepened our faith and love for our fellow man.
Saint Quotes
Let us therefore pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that he give us the grace to seek His Kingdom and to build within ourselves a moral Jerusalem. By doing this, we will be able to merit our place in the heavenly Jerusalem to sing Alleluia in its streets with all the saints and angels. But the One whose Kingdom is eternal for all ages must help us to do so. – St. Anthony
Grace is nothing else but a certain beginning of glory in us. – St. Thomas Aquinas
Works Cited
Pinckaers, Servais. Morality: The Catholic View. St. Augustine’s Press. South Bend, IN: 2001. Print.
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