I’ve been enjoying watching the family of bluebirds in my yard. I watched the parents’ courtship, the nest building, the egg laying, and the hatching and fledging. I was fascinated with how the parents brought food back to the nest, where they were met by open-mouthed baby birds fully prepared to accept what was given them. It’s an amazing bond between the giver and the receiver: complete trust that one will receive just what one needs. Watching the birds got me thinking about our need for God’s grace and our willingness (or not) to accept it.
As those birds need food, so do our souls need grace. And grace comes from God. Grace is what connects us to God and keeps us in that holy connection. There are many definitions of grace, but I like to think of it as God’s unmerited favor given to us to help us respond to God’s call. It’s like a divine nudge of encouragement for our souls. Grace is a free gift from God; we don’t earn it. Grace is all that is beautiful and good, a gratuitous gift that God makes to us.
God is always willing to gift us with grace, and all we have to do is respond by accepting that gift. Our response serves to do God’s work and further God’s kingdom here on earth. It’s a great ecosystem of holiness.
Unfortunately, when it comes to accepting grace, we can fall short. One reason is that we don’t even realize God is offering us grace. Think of the rich young man who passed up the grace to give up his possessions and lead a fulfilled life following Jesus. All he had to do was accept Jesus’ invitation. Instead he went away sad, unable to receive the courage Jesus was offering him to take that life-changing step. Other reasons we fail to accept grace are pride, idolatry, or lack of repentance. Think of the criminal on the cross next to Jesus on Good Friday. He only had to accept the new life Jesus offered him by confessing and believing in Christ, and he could have been in Paradise that same day. Instead, unable to repent, he continued to turn away from God.
For those of us who sometimes miss God’s grace, the good news is that by practicing two of St. Ignatius’s principles, we can become aware of how we sabotage God’s help and then stay open to divine grace.
If we are aware that God is in everything, loving us and desiring to give us divine grace, we begin to look for opportunities to receive it.
St. Ignatius teaches us to see God in all things and to pray the Examen. These two practices are meant to develop a heightened awareness of God with us. With that heightened awareness, we are more in tune with God’s subtle actions of generosity. I look back on a time when I was new to seeing God in all things. I asked God to walk on the beach with me at sunrise, and instead of a regular sunrise, I saw a spectacular display of God’s glory in the sun. The clouds, the wind, and the birds all reflected the glory of God. I felt deeply connected to the beauty around me as I never had before. And I felt open to accepting what God wanted to share with me, that I was part of God’s glorious creation. It was a grace that drew me closer to God and left me eager to experience more. If we are aware that God is in everything, loving us and desiring to give us divine grace, we begin to look for opportunities to receive it.
Accepting God’s grace takes humility, trust, and awareness, all things we can acquire by praying the Examen regularly. This prayer practice encourages us to look at the day’s activities and recall times when we delighted in God’s presence (grace), and when we turned away from God (sin). Regular review of our day this way can help us notice the daily dynamics between us and God and prepare us to receive what is so generously offered.
Next time you notice a flock of birds, think about the life-cycle bond among them, and let that remind you that God is close, waiting to gift you with grace.
Editor’s note: Melinda LeBlanc, the author of this article, passed away last month. We are grateful for the wisdom she shared through her writing. May she rest in peace.