Gods Grace Knows No Limits

This title is apt as words or as a line for a song. A song for those whose hearts are
weary and yet hopeful. One for those whose spirits are faint yet struggling. A melody for
those whose strength are all but drained yet open for stimulation. Having these words in
ones thoughts, despite some pain, there would be songs worth singing, while some
would be simply pleasant for listening. There are songs that stir your emotions with the
lyrics, while for others, it is their harmony that lingers on and fascinates even when you
are faced with difficulties.
At the start of the semester, I knew I would have some difficulty in appreciating
quite central a topic which this subject had (which was printed in the course offerings
2nd semester 2005-2006) like: understanding the human person as being in relation
with others, to the world, and to God, having as backdrop two mutually interdependent
parts: theology of creation from the perspective of todays ecological crisis and theology
of grace considered from the human experiences of Gods habitual presence. The
difficulty, I must clarify, does not belong to a certain indifference to a full understanding
of the human person, but basically stems from an opinion that humanity, although it
may be a living verifiable reality, can not be entirely defined and encapsulated into mere
generalized terminologies and/or sheer controlled characterizations. It may be that this
difficulty is also a hesitation or unwillingness to make a judgment without considering
the specific concerns of the person and a major bulk of the individuals interpreted
experience.
Knowing that I am faced with certain challenges with this subject, I cannot be
cowed around by fear or inadequacy. I must admit that my thinking is limited and
impartiality has not been my primary characteristic. Humbly, I should accept that any
new knowledge is not of my own design and that the novel insight is still a preview to a
deeper and a more encompassing realization. The greatest challenge then which lies in
this course and beyond must be how to translate this learning into something
worthwhile and meaningful to my family, community and to my place in society.
Understanding the Human Person as Being in Relation with Others, to the World, and
to God.
Coming to terms with ones self experiences, personality, character, valuesystems is indeed a life-long task. When I was in college, a good friend would always
end her advice with a remark: If you cant even understand yourself, how in the world
can you expect to understand others, those around you? I, of course, the silly tryinghard-cynic in me, would retort: If others cant understand themselves, how I can it be
possible for them to accept the way I understand myself? The reactions and rebuttals
would start seemingly unending debates, which would last for an entire school year and
would pit most of our friends against one another. All of us would be involved in the
forum, foray or mind-scuffles would be the more likely term. We would cite sources
from philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, history, anthropology,
linguistics, and what-have-you in the ensuing discussion. Economics and law would also
follow suit.
Very often, the argument would never be resolved. And it was somehow sad, but
most of us, it was an exercise of ones ability to struggle with an issue that might pervade

until ones bouts with senility. The debates were also a manifestation of the desire to
understand and to come to certain broad closures as were approaching adult roles even
with juvenile mindsets.
This narrative, true 20 years ago, still happens with my brawls with the reality of
not being able to fully seize a truly functional appreciation of the human relationship
grind. Sometimes even when the light of revelation is introduced other issues might
spring up and confound the matter once again. Soon after, I would often end up praying:
Lord, help my unbelief. Often times, I realize it is not the lack of insights from
philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, history, anthropology, etc., that
contribute to the aborted understanding. It is my lack of faith that drives me not to
accept in all humility the actuality I am facing. It is also by incessant focusing on
theological glitches that hinders a humanizing understanding-in-progress.
Theology of Creation from the Perspective of Todays Ecological Crisis
As one grows old, or better phrased still, as I have come of age, I realize that life
can truly indeed be a box of chocolates despite the disasters both people-made and
natural. Life in the world is constant grind. One has to stir things to produce results. At
other times, one has to be stirred so that results can fall into place. The process of
stirring and being stirred does not only happen to people, it also happens where people
are found and where they shouldnt really be. Stirring the ecological locus of humanity
has effects on the way we live. Thus we can also say that we humans are being stirred
because of the stir we have done and, most probably, imposed upon our environment.
But why do we impose our designs on the environment knowing it would have
some unforeseen or even catastrophic impact upon ourselves? Is it not enough to see
that nature as it runs its courses and cycles can be the catalyst for the extinction of
humanity, or at least a large part of it? Must we magnify and hasten the destruction that
might befall on us?
Human activity and motivation and deeper study thereof can shed some light to
this bugging issues. Is it merely self-preservation or the relentless desire to manipulate
bits and pieces at our reach that contributes to the often times unintended destruction
that occurs? Our activity can produce serious consequences. One of which is suffering
for others. Suffering that stem from famine, drought, floods, mudslides, trash-slides,
and the like. And not only that, economic impoverishment due to loss of livelihood and
residential displacement is a major issue that continues to hound both the rich and poor
alike.
Theology of Grace Considered from the Human Experiences of Gods Habitual Presence
Using song in the first paragraph as metaphor for Gods grace, I would like to
extend further the connection between the pole of human experience and the rod of
Gods grace through an old poem that I stumbled upon sometime in 1995 and has
become one of my favorites since. The poem comes from Gerard Manley Hopkins
entitled Gods Grandeur.
The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with
toil;
And wears mans smudge and shares mans smell:
the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah!
bright wings.[1]
The world as being charged with the grandeur of God evokes a sentiment that
the world our lived reality with God can never entirely be exhausted and,
consequently, never totally extinguished. The lack of or failure to understand is not
because of our utter inadequacy. This seeming deficiency or error is a negative contrast
to the overwhelming positive possibility inherent in a sign-laden experience. Often
times, our construction and perception of the sign-laden and meaning-loaded
experience is translated in a restrictive sense. This restrictive formation is commonly the
root of a tension-filled predicament. The approach must then be to open up our
perception to such extent that we encounter a God of possibilities rather than be
preoccupied with the abstract reality of an impossible God.
Thanks to the historical-critical approach in class discussions, coupled with the
influence of the Holy Spirit and the mantric repetition of the utter gratuity-universality
of grace, life and my very existence in the world with God can never be an exercise in
futility. There is always a radical meaning to the struggle of understanding my humanity,
my being a human person. Significance and importance of Gods activity in my life and
consequently in other peoples lives can never in actual fact be lacking. There is always
will be a superabundance of value to the commitment to appreciate the life of God in us
grace. No matter what challenge would confront us, the grace, whether created or
uncreated, will always be there for the asking, will always be there for the taking, and
always be there for the sharing. Grace always knows no limits.
Materials Consulted:
Duffy, Stephen J. The Graced Horizon: The Gratuity and Universality of Grace. In The
Graced Horizon: Nature and Grace in Modern Catholic Thought. Collegeville:
Liturgical Press, 1992. 196-234.
Garascia, Mary M. Theological Anthropology. In The College Students Introduction to
Theology. Thomas P. Rausch (Editor). Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1993. 107-126.

Gutierrez, Gustavo. My Eyes Have Seen You. In The God of Life. Matthew J. OConnell
(Translator). Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1991. 145-163.
Quesnell, Quentin. Grace. In The New Dictionary of Theology. Joseph A. Komonchak,
Mary Collins and Dermot A. Lane (Editors). Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier,
1987. 437-450.
Sachs, John R. Grace: The Gift of Gods Life. In The Christian Vision of Humanity:
Basic Christian Anthropology. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991. 67-74.
[1] The Wordsworth Poetry Library. The Works of Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd., 1994. 26.

Paolo Fernando C. Colabres

Maryhill School of Theology
Adult Theological Education Program
TH203 Theological Anthropology (Theology of Grace)
Second Semester 2005-2006
February 2006