Gift of grace .... aids .... will .... prayer ....

B.D. No. 2469 September 10th 1942

A gift which allows divine love to flow to earth cannot be effective in people who close themselves off from God's love through an unloving way of life. They are indeed also offered the gift of grace, which is evident from the fact that everyone can hear the word of God even if he has neither desire nor understanding for it. However, whether it penetrates the heart, i.e. whether it is accepted with the heart at the same time as the intellect, again depends on how the person's will adjusts to it. Therefore, the will also determines the fullness of the gift of grace, it also determines whether the word of God only resounds in the ear or speaks to the person's heart .... For only the word speaking to the heart awakens to life, i.e. it stimulates activity in oneself, in one's soul. Consequently, the divine word is a means by which man can mould his soul in such a way as is necessary to be able to unite with God. Every aid to higher development is therefore a grace .... But whether grace is utilized is up to the human being, and as long as the word of God does not bring about this transformation of the soul, the human being's will remains inactive and he will also lack divine grace, even though it is fully at his disposal. There is also no other means for a person to receive the supply of grace than by fervently praying to God for grace .... This prayer is answered, for now the human being already testifies to his will to allow grace to take effect in himself. And God is always willing to grant the human being grace because He wants His living creations to return to Him again and without His help, His grace, the return to God cannot be accomplished. But God does not force the will, He leaves it completely up to the human being to make use of His grace. Yet only few make use of God's gift of grace, only few people allow the word of God to speak to them, and only few people realize that this divine word contains the abundance of divine grace within itself .... that God, in His infinite love, only imparts the word to people because He wants to help them to easily cover the path of ascent. And that is why only a few make use of the gift of grace which is given to them unmeasured and allow His divine word to speak to their heart ....

Amen