Grace: Chief Effect of the Sacraments

The sacraments of the New Law produce grace. For thesacraments incorporate man with Christ, make man a member of Christ; and such incorporation is effected only by grace. The principal cause of grace is God; the sacraments are instituted to be instrumental causes of God’s grace.

Grace perfects the essence of the soul; from grace, gifts and virtues flow into the soul’s powers. To these normal effects of grace in the soul, and in the powers ofthe soul, each sacrament adds a special perfection of its own; thisis the respective sacramental grace of each sacrament. Sacramental grace is a special divine aid bestowed on the soul by a sacrament, and meant to help that soul attain the precise end for which the sacrament is instituted.

Grace is in the sacraments of the New Law as a transient instrumental power.

The sacraments are instrumental causes of grace;therefore, they possess an instrumental power for bringing aboutthe effects of grace.

The sacraments of the New Law derive their power especially from the Passion of Christ; the virtue of the Passion isin some manner communicated to the receiver of a sacrament.

The sacraments of the Old Law could not of themselves confer sanctifying grace; they could only signify the faith by which men are justified, that is, set in the state of sanctifyinggrace.