Merit and Prayer in the Life of Grace

Abstract

lVIERIT AND PRAYER IN THE LIFE OF GRACE "'\HE supernatural or the Christian life-there is no supernatural life except in Christ-is essentially the life of grace. Only those Christians fully live up to their name who live in a state of grace. If sinners are still called Christians, it is because they :retain, in spite of their sinful state, some habitual gifts of graces, namely, faith and hope.1 Yet their state is rather one of spiritual death-mortal sin-than of life. What is left in them of grace cannot lead them to the goal of life eternal. But in the just the development of the life of grace is one with growth in grace. And this increase of sanctifying grace, our faith teaches, happens mainly in two ways: by the reception of the sacraments and by good works. Sacramental growth in grace does not perhaps, according to contemporary Thomistic theology of the sacraments, radically differ from the extra-sacramental one, as far as man's subjective disposition or co-operation with grace goes; 2 it does not happen, at any rate, without the subjective co-operation of the recipient ; but we shall not speak of this question here. Both faith and theological tradition maintain that, outside the sacraments , the development of the life of grace in the just follows on man's co-operation with grace in several ways: by way of merit, whether in the strict or in the improper sense of the word, or by way of prayer or impetration. The just are bound and able to keep the commandments, and by so doing they grow in grace.3 They also have to pray and ask for what they cannot have of themselves: St. Augustine, and later Trent, taught 1 Denzinger-Bannwart, Enchiridion Symbolorum 838 (for faith); Summa Theologiae , II-II, q. 6, a. fl; q. 17, a. 8; q. 23, a. 8. 2 Cf. H. Schillebeecks, 0. P., De sacramentele Heileconomie, Antwerp, 1952; especially pp. 621 f. 3 Denzinger, 828, 830, 1092; 834, 842. 446 MERIT AND PRAYER IN THE I~IFE OF GRACE 447 that we must do what we can and ask for what we cannot.~ In our theological treatises on grace, however, the respective roles and places of merit and prayer in the life of grace seem at times ill-defined, if considered at all. And theological opinion differs in regard to what the just can merit in a condign manner and by way of congruous merit." Nor is it always clear what exactly prayer is meant to effect and in what manner.6 Should we pray for what we can merit? What does it mean to impetrate a favor? Is impetration different from congruous merit? The following considerations intend to examine the respective roles of merit and prayer in the life of grace. It lies outside their purpose to examine what is left of grace in sinners and what their prayer or good works can effect. Nor shall we enter into the consideration of the social aspect of the life of grace, of merit and prayer, however important and topical this question may be. These two problems whose treatment would require a lengthy study will only briefly be indicated in appendix I and II. Our present question is this: knowing as we do from our faith that the just are called to grow constantly in grace and that they cannot do so without good works and prayer, what are the roles of merit and impetration in the development of their life of grace? Why are these needed? What are their proper objects? We shall look for the answer to these questions mainly in the teaching of St. Thomas. Our problem, then, concerns the need and role of our effort in the supernatural life. Basic PTinciple: Man, Artisan of His Own Salvation A preliminary question, one whose answer commands the whole subsequent exposition is this: Must man co-operate with grace and why? As is well-known, the answer to this question is what differentiates the Catholic position from that of Protestants. It commands two different ideas of the whole of ' Ibid., 804. 5 Cf. H. Quilliet, "Congruo (de), Condigno...