cles, where the Angels exclaim: "Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?"[1]
Grace, then, is like an invulnerable armor. So strong does it render man that, according to St. Thomas, the least degree of grace suffices to triumph over all sin.[2]
A third effect of grace is to render man so pleasing to God that every good action performed by him contributes to merit for him eternal life. By good we here mean not only acts of virtue, but all those which arise from the necessities of nature, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, which, by an upright intention, become pleasing to God and meritorious in His sight. In addition to all this, grace makes man the adopted child of God and heir to His kingdom. Our Saviour showed the greatness of this privilege when, seeing His Apostles rejoicing that evil spirits obeyed them in His name, He said: "Rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice in this, that your names are written in Heaven."[3]
Grace, finally, qualifies man for all good; smooths the way to heaven; makes the yoke of Christ sweet and light; cures him of his infirmities and lightens his burdens, so that he is enabled to run in the path of virtue. Moreover, it strengthens all the faculties of the soul, enlightens the understanding, inflames the heart, moderates the appetites of the flesh, and constantly stimulates us, so that we may not
