Obstacles to God’s Grace: Address Them During Advent

Removing obstacles to God’s grace—this can help us all. And what better time to do it than the beginning of the new liturgical year, during the season of Advent? Advent is a time to embrace a bit more silence and prayer in preparation for the celebration of Our Lord’s Nativity. It’s a good time to prayerfully identify obstacles blocking God’s grace, and do something about them. Don’t waste this season.

Lord, Teach Me

In The Three Conversions in the Spiritual Life, Fr. Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, OP suggested the following prayer:

“Lord, teach me to know the obstacles that, consciously or unconsciously, I am placing in the way of Thy grace in me. Give me the strength to put them aside, and if I am negligent therein, vouchsafe Thyself to remove them, howsoever I may suffer thereby…”

In Father Garrigou-LaGrange’s prayer, we’re asking for help to know what obstacles to God’s grace we need to eliminate. Without God’s grace and the intercession of our patron saints, we may not even be aware of some obstacles. Even if we are aware, we need God’s actual grace to help us remove them. And it’s pretty bold, isn’t it, to ask the Lord to remove what we haven’t, even if it causes us some suffering? What types of obstacles do each of us need assistance with? Some obstacles may be more obvious than others.

Sin–Obviously an Obstacle to God’s Grace

As mentioned in a previous article, sin represents an obvious obstacle to God’s grace in us. Mortal sin actually causes us to lose the sanctifying grace which we received at baptism. It separates us from God. Living in a state of unconfessed, unrepented mortal sin places one at risk of total, permanent separation from God, were we to die while in that state. A simple remedy exists for this—the sacrament of penance, also known as reconciliation or confession. If you believe you’re in a state of mortal sin, head to confession—don’t put it off.

Although not as serious as mortal sin, venial sin still places us in a difficult situation. It presents multiple obstacles to God’s grace. For one thing, venial sin works against the virtue of charity, impeding the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thus, we can find it difficult to grow in the virtues and ultimately in sanctity.

For another thing, venial sin deprives us of actual graces that God would have given us otherwise. These foregone actual graces would have helped set us up for further spiritual growth. As well, intentional venial sins predispose us to mortal sin, and all sin increases our need for purgation. No matter how you view it, venial sin presents serious obstacles to God’s grace and to deeper conversion of heart.

Beware the Triple Concupiscence

But there are other, perhaps less obvious, obstacles to address as well. In 1 John 2:16 we read of the “triple concupiscence,” which St. John refers to as lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life.  Might a quick examination of conscience  disclose additional obstacles to God’s grace at this time?

Lust of the flesh does not refer only to sexuality. Rather, it includes our tendency toward sensual pleasure in general—toward taking the easy way out, pursuing pleasure, and the like—when we let it get in between us and God. Lust of the eyes blinds us toward spiritual goods, raising obstacles to God’s grace in us by focusing on temporal things instead. And pride of life covers vanity, pride, self-love—preferring self-will to God’s will. In meditating on 1 John 2:16, do we see red flags—perhaps a starting point for knowing and removing one or more obstacles to God’s grace?

Bad Habits As Obstacles to God’s Grace

Another way of looking at this might be through the lens of habit identification. What habits have we acquired that get in the way of holiness? If 1 John 2:16 serves as a springboard for bad habits in deeds, James 3:4-8 might cause some discomfort if we’re prone to bad habits with words:

“⁴ Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things…And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ”

What do we say, and how are we saying it, that creates obstacles to God’s grace? We may not realize how we sound to others. Getting objective feedback from someone not afraid to tell you the truth can help.

Errant thoughts can create obstacles to God’s grace—if we dwell on them. We may face a variety of potentially sinful thoughts coming from or influenced by the devil as temptations. Yet, if we reject them in Jesus’ name and move on, they aren’t sinful. It’s when we dwell on them that they can become barriers to grace.

Distractions–A Major Source of Obstacles?

In this age of ubiquitous connectivity, of streaming newscasts, online, real time social media engagement, and never-ending messaging, distractions can present major obstacles to God’s grace, and it’s even worse heading into Christmas. Some people create or entertain distractions as a means of escape. Distractions allow them to avoid the up-close, personal interaction with Our Lord that He desires and we need.

In fact, you may be suffering from the capital sin of acedia if distractions have you “too busy” to make an appointment with the Divine Physician. Acedia is a sorrow and resentment that virtue and achievement take effort, that we need to do the hard work, even if we don’t feel like it.

One of the “daughters” of acedia is an uneasy restlessness of mind which fights to block out the peace God wants to give us. This is worth noting in today’s hectic, fast-paced world. Do you or a loved one struggle with constant jabbering, being exceptionally verbose or gabby? Or perhaps, you pursue lots of information you really don’t need to know. And being unable to settle down—to be in solitude with Our Lord for 15 minutes or more a day in mental, not vocal, prayer can be a sign of this interior restlessness. In fact, the exaggerated sense of workaholism that is common today in our culture is a manifestation of acedia.

Next Step in Removing Obstacles to Grace

Where to go from here? Take it to prayer. Ask the Lord where He wants you to focus your efforts during the remainder of Advent. With the help of your spiritual director or regular confessor, determine what you will do to change one thing for the better. Keep track of your progress with a particular examen. When you fall, get back up and begin again, thanking the Lord for letting you see just how much you need His grace to make any change.

What might this look like? For the sake of discussion, let’s assume we have a problem with becoming easily judgmental, putting others down in our thoughts. Actions we might take could include:

• Looking for the good qualities in others, especially those we’ve been too prone to judge and be critical of
• If tempted toward critical thoughts, dashing those thoughts against the cross of Jesus immediately
• Replacing critical thoughts with observations of one or more good attributes or qualities in that person

In other words, we would be practicing the virtue of seeing good in others. It’s not rocket science, but it takes discernment and the will to cooperate with God’s grace, to do the hard work of growing in virtuous behavior. The season of Advent is a good time to remove one or more obstacles to God’s grace. Don’t waste it.

“If you haven’t changed and grown in holiness during this month, you’ve wasted the season of Advent.” – Preaching from an African priest at a recent Mass the author attended.