To cooperate with grace, one must combine their efforts with God's grace, allowing grace to inhabit and act within them [^1]. This involves a personal dialogue and union between God and humanity [^1].

 

Here's how one can cooperate with grace:

*   **Openness to Grace:** A person is called to remain open to grace in all their actions and to confirm this openness by saying "yes" to God every day [^1]. The capacity to receive grace depends on one’s degree of openness and commitment to God [^8].

*   **Assent of Faith:** Cooperation with grace is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites one to conversion [^2].

*   **Cooperation of Charity:** It also involves the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, who precedes and preserves this assent [^2]. Charity alone makes growth in the life of grace possible [^6].

*   **Personal Consent:** Catholics believe that personal consent in preparing for and accepting justification is an effect of grace, not an action arising from innate human abilities [^4].

*   **Embracing God's Gift:** Cooperate by your own efforts in your progressive transformation, which is only possible on the basis of God’s gift, freely accepted and humbly received [^6].

*   **Synergy with Christ:** Christians act together with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit [^9].

*   **Actions, Prayers, and Sufferings:** God asks us to cooperate with him while respecting our freedom and gives us the ability to do so through actions, prayers, and sufferings, thus awakening in us the desire “to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13) [^5].

*   **Sacraments:** Frequent the sacraments [^3]. The Eucharist provides the bread of life to overcome obstacles, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation reinforces the capacity for resistance to evil and gives the courage to pick oneself up after a fall [^7].

*   **Spiritual Labor:** All stages of the spiritual life require cooperation between human freedom and the grace of God [^10]. Zealous spiritual labor is necessary, but God’s grace is given solely as a gift, not as a reward [^10].

 

In summary, cooperating with grace involves willingly aligning one's actions, faith, and love with God's will, facilitated by the Holy Spirit and the sacraments, to allow divine grace to transform and guide one's life [^1] [^2] [^7].

 

[^1] [Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 744](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/5c0fb401-3c71-494e-bfce-ac8641dafd3b/ref/744)

[^2] [Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 746](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/5c0fb401-3c71-494e-bfce-ac8641dafd3b/ref/746)

[^3] [CCC 1993](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1993)

[^4] [Gaudete et exsultate 56](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/da76abf0-a155-4583-b9c7-bfa17a86f4f8/ref/56)

[^5] [1997 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification 20](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/2c2dae97-fd15-4b6c-8ea4-6e3632723e05/ref/20)

[^6] [Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 452](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/5c0fb401-3c71-494e-bfce-ac8641dafd3b/ref/452)

[^7] [Compendium of the CCC 56](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/c6c4d3fe-2afe-4d7d-91b6-672dac04569c/ref/56)

[^8] [CCC 1811](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1811)

[^9] [Educational Guidance in Human Love: Outlines for Sex Education 44](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/c5e5ae5f-73d8-4f74-82ec-d674326add00/ref/44)

[^10] [Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 745](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/5c0fb401-3c71-494e-bfce-ac8641dafd3b/ref/745)

Psalm 118:6, 8

Yahweh is for me; 

I will not fear;

What can man do to me?

…

It is better to take refuge in Yahweh

Than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:28-29

You are my God, 

and I give thanks to You;

You are my God, 

I exalt You.

Give thanks to Yahweh, 

for He is good;

For His lovingkindness endures forever.

The core of faith (have not changed through 2000 years - expression may but not beliefs)

Incarnation 

Recapitulation

Bought redemption 

Offers (yes or no) on His terms not ours (new life from within or not-not covering old life -slow journey) REPENTANCE - wanting holy life with God that he will bring to fruition (which is a grace accepted or rejected)

By Grace through Faith

Join covenant by baptism 

Renew covenant in Eucharist

Learn covenant by Bible

Can revoke yes or no at any time (diligent to stay close by evaluation of yes or no daily)

Fruit is proof of life - not works. 

Works are the gift that God had planned for each to do. 

Obedience is by saying yes in faith in God who gives the grace to obey. (I don’t have strength to obey-I have choice to say yes/no)

When I fall, immediately repent and Get Up! Of course I fell, I took my eyes off Christ and I am weak alone. 

Don’t wallow-that’s the evil one. 

It’s okay to love the Mother of Jesus and the Saints. 

They bore hardship for me to get the message. 

All was by Grace from God

All was through Faith in God

They said Yes (received) not No (rejected)

I thank Mary for being willing to bear the Humanity of Jesus. 

I thank Saints Paul, Peter, apostles, and witnesses for spreading the gospel so I can have it. 

God Made all Good:

God made world good, made man good, made spirits good, he made all things VERY GOOD

How we are made:

Out of the ground he made man, but we have his breath breathed into us by Himself, and made in His image.   

Out of the ground God made every beast and bird, man got to name them. 

Woman was taken out of man to be man’s helper. 

They are to cleave together and be one. 

How we got broken:

Serpent questions Eve about what God said (with a lie-manipulated God’s Words)

She tries to explain and embellishes some. Adds can’t touch it. 

Serpent tells her God lied. You will be wise and free if you disobey and be like God, master over your own life. 

Deliberated in her own mind instead of believing God: Saw good to eat, delight to eyes, had wisdom. She disobeyed and immediately spread disobedience to husband. (Misery loves company)

Consequences- now have self distortion:

See their nakedness (shame-disordered view of self) 

have to cover up (hiding from reality -disordered view of reality) 

Hide from God (fear of punishment-not seeking healing and forgiveness)

Blame game (will not take responsibility and confess!)

Worldly Consequences (not punishment-healing so nothing worse happens)

Enmity (between good and evil) {we must learn discernment to not do evil again-constant battle, must cry out to God for help depending on Him}

Pain and desire to rule for woman {woman wants to control she must learn she is not in charge-God is and she is dependent}

Cursed is the ground and in great toil to eat for man. {man must toil with Gods help now-keeps him dependent}

Banished from Garden so they don’t eat tree of life and live eternally broken. 

Dust to dust return (physical bodily death) will not live eternally broken and dependent. We will rise. 

God slayed animals (blood of covenant?) to cover them so he could walk with them again? Did not annihilate them, graced them so he could still walk with them. 

Covering with animals: interpreted as a foreshadowing of the covenant of grace, it's not explicitly presented as a covenant in itself. The animal sacrifice and the resulting garments are understood as a divine act of grace, a covering for their sin, and a promise of future redemption through Christ. 

The church can be an idol! FOCUS on CHRIST!

Yes, the Church can become an idol [^5] [^7]. Idolatry is not limited to pagan worship but extends to divinizing anything that is not God [^5]. This can occur when something, even something related to faith, takes the place of God in one's life [^7].

Here's how the Church can become an idol:

*   **Replacing God:** If the Church, its structures, or its leaders become the central focus, overshadowing God, it can become an idol [^7].

*   **Obsession:** When attachment to the Church becomes an obsession, potentially leading to a neglect of faith, it can be a form of idolatry [^7].

*   **Means to an end:** If the Church is seen merely as a means to personal success or a specific agenda, rather than a path to God, it risks becoming an idol [^7].

*   **Disregarding true purpose:** Idolatry involves disorder and falsifies relationships, replacing the adoration of the living God with created things [^9]. The Church's true purpose is to lead people to God, not to become an end in itself [^17].

*   **Emptying Worshippers:** When the Church is treated as an idol, it can lead to emptiness, as idols are empty and those who trust in them become like them [^10].

*   **Focusing on the Visible:** The Church is both visible and spiritual [^19]. Overemphasizing the visible aspects, such as the hierarchy or institutions, at the expense of the spiritual dimension, can lead to a form of idolatry [^18].

*   **Undermining the unique Lordship of God:** Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God and is incompatible with communion with God [^5].

*   **Distorted priorities:** Focusing on aspects of the Church to the detriment of others can lead to imbalance and conflicts [^9].

*   **Love of power:** The pursuit of power within the Church or using the Church for worldly power can be a form of idolatry [^5].

*   **Losing sight of Christ:** The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ [^12] [^15] [^20], and its members are united to Christ as the head [^20]. If this connection to Christ is weakened, the Church risks becoming an idol.

*   **Ignoring sin:** The Church is holy, but it also has sinners within it [^11]. Ignoring or excusing sin within the Church, rather than seeking healing through Christ, can lead to a distorted view of the Church and, potentially, idolatry [^11].

*   **Fullness of truth:** The Church has been endowed with all divinely revealed truth and with all the means of grace [^14]. However, focusing on certain truths while neglecting others, or relying on human efforts rather than divine grace, can lead to imbalance and a form of idolatry [^18].

*   **One Church:** The Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church [^14] [^16]. However, elements of sanctification and truth can be found outside its visible confines [^16]. If the Church is seen as the only source of truth and goodness, without recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit in other communities, it can become an idol.

*   **The Marketplace of Idols:** The world offers a supermarket of idols, including objects, images, ideas, and roles [^7]. If the Church is treated as just another option in this marketplace, rather than as the unique instrument of salvation, it can become an idol [^7].

In summary, while the Church is essential and sacred, it should not replace God in one's heart or become the ultimate focus of worship [^5] [^7].

[^1] [CCC 2113](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/2113)

[^2] [General Audience of 1 August 2018 ](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/c5af1708-0691-47f3-8574-4eb489507bca/ref/)

[^3] [Instruction on Christian freedom and liberation – Libertatis conscientia 39](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/946724d1-e6de-48cc-959f-9ea64f1a1337/ref/39)

[^4] [General Catechetical Directory 65](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/ec19eb0f-943e-4130-9d46-c6f2cfdec8f1/ref/65)

[^5] [CCC 2112](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/2112)

[^6] [CCC 779](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/779)

[^7] [Select Themes of Ecclesiology on the Occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Closing of the Second Vatican Council IX.2](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/84dfc887-7737-41d4-a90d-2f8607d8e476/ref/IX.2)

[^8] [Mystici Corporis Christi 13](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0702be29-caea-4e22-83c3-568780c3beb9/ref/13)

[^9] [CCC 805](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/805)

[^10] [Catholic Encyclopedia Mystical Body of the Church](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f2c979a8-871d-4f46-a059-320d3b837a76/ref/Mystical%20Body%20of%20the%20Church)

[^11] [Solemni Hac Liturgia (Credo of the People of God) (June 30, 1968) 19](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/3663aacc-19e8-426a-9202-7b322bfc8174/ref/19)

[^12] [In Defense of the Catholic Doctrine on the Church Against Certain Errors of the Present Day 1](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/013bdd03-4831-4300-b446-8a8fc8a435c7/ref/1)

[^13] [CCC 870](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/870)

Kingdom through Covenant by Wellum and Gentry, 

“Animals are slaughtered and sacrificed. Each animal is cut in two, and the halves are laid facing or opposite each other. Then the parties of the treaty walk between the halves of the dead animals…What is being expressed is this: each party is saying, “If I fail to keep my obligation or my promise, may I be cut in two like this dead animal.” The oath or promise, then, involves bringing a curse upon oneself for violating the treaty. This is why the expression “to cut a covenant” is the conventional language for the initiation of a covenant in the Old Testament

Abrahams covenant: If I fail to keep my obligation, may I be cut in two like this dead animal, then involves bringing a curse upon oneself for violation. Sign: circumcision. 

The covenant: Jesus sacrificed himself, For the new covenant. God will not turn from His Covenant!  He cannot cut himself off. So continually plead for Mercy because I am in covenant. Admit complete dependency on Grace (not myself) Only Grace can save-it is not in me. Sign: Baptism and Blood of Christ. 

Yes, in Catholic thought, there is a distinction between an "evil" person and a "broken" person. Here's a breakdown of the differences:

#### Evil Person

1.  **Moral Evil and Sin:** Evil, particularly moral evil, involves a deliberate deviation from right reason and God's law [^1]. Sin is understood as "a word, an act, or a desire contrary to the eternal Law" and an offense against God [^2] [^3] [^4]. It is a morally bad act, not in accord with reason informed by Divine law [^1].

2.  **Deliberate Choice:** A sinful act involves the sinner inordinately electing a particular good in defiance of God's law and right reason [^1]. The evil act adequately considered has for its cause the free-will defectively electing some mutable good in place of the eternal good, God, and thus deviating from its true last end [^1].

3.  **Privation of Conformity:** In every sin, there is a privation of due order or conformity to the moral law [^1]. Sin is not a pure privation of all moral good, but a human act deprived of its due rectitude [^1].

#### Broken Person

1.  **Suffering and Imperfection:** "Brokenness" can refer to the experience of suffering, imperfection, and the limitations of being human [^8] [^9] [^10] [^11]. Physical evil includes all that causes harm to man, whether by bodily injury, by thwarting his natural desires, or by preventing the full development of his powers [^8].

2.  **Impact of Original Sin:** Self-centeredness and misuse of gifts are consequences of the Fall, which can lead to personal and communal brokenness [^7]. Without grace, selfishness can dominate [^7].

3.  **Opportunity for Redemption:** Suffering, when united with Christ, can become an act of love and a means of participating in His redemptive suffering [^11] [^12] [^13] [^14] [^15] [^16] [^17]. Those who share in Christ's sufferings can find joy and contribute to the salvation of others [^14] [^18].

#### Key Differences

*   **Intentionality:** An evil person deliberately chooses to act against God's law and right reason [^1]. A broken person experiences suffering and imperfection, which may not always be the result of their own intentional choices [^8].

*   **Moral Responsibility:** Evil involves moral responsibility and imputability for one's actions [^1]. Brokenness encompasses a broader range of experiences, including those influenced by external factors or the consequences of original sin [^7] [^8].

*   **Redemptive Potential:** While evil is a privation of good, brokenness can be an opportunity for growth, union with Christ, and participation in redemption [^11] [^12] [^14] [^15] [^16] [^17] [^18].

In summary, while an evil person actively chooses to defy God and moral law, a broken person experiences suffering and imperfection, offering a path toward redemption through union with Christ. Forgiving evil requires repentance and a commitment to change, forgiving brokenness involves compassion, support, and a willingness to help others find restoration

[^1] [Catholic Encyclopedia Sin](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f2c979a8-871d-4f46-a059-320d3b837a76/ref/Sin)

[^2] [Compendium of the CCC 392](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/c6c4d3fe-2afe-4d7d-91b6-672dac04569c/ref/392)

[^3] [CCC 1849](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1849)

[^4] [CCC 1871](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1871)

[^5] [Catholic Encyclopedia Evil](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f2c979a8-871d-4f46-a059-320d3b837a76/ref/Evil)

[^6] [Apostolic Journey to Papua New Guinea: Liturgy of the Word and blessing of the sick at the church of St Joseph in Boroko (18 January 1995) 2](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/9403e629-d5aa-43b9-9dc4-4bcd0e1a27e8/ref/2)

[^7] [Anointing of the Sick in the Cathedral of Southwark (May 28, 1982) - Speech 3](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/ff447bb9-ad9f-4eb4-9ab5-567c1ad9aa72/ref/3)

[^8] [To sick and elderly at the Martyrs’ Shrine in Huronia (September 15, 1984) - Speech 2](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/d00dd5b4-344f-4096-8138-b20022eef5e4/ref/2)

[^9] [The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church 12](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/da25a3b7-f234-4f1d-bc5c-128c330b936e/ref/12)

[^10] [Apostolic Journey to Uganda: Message to the sick and disabled of Uganda at Saint Francis Hospital in Nsambya (February 7, 1993) - Speech 3](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/26855bef-48cd-4f83-afe1-bfb678174434/ref/3)

[^11] [Select Questions on the Theology of God the Redeemer IV.62](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/772f08f1-765f-4eec-8b56-4e8c110aa348/ref/IV.62)

[^12] [Salvifici Doloris: On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering 23](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f3b8cfcb-7c7b-405a-b88d-8e2b34348d91/ref/23)

[^13] [Instruction on prayers for healing 2000](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/519ae3c5-c969-435b-8083-faf9e5f0f09f/ref/2000)

[^14] [Apostolic Journey to Tanzania: To the sick gathered in the Cathedral of Mwanza (September 3, 1990) - Speech 3](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/d74de9c5-1e13-4a87-8339-bb247ec61c06/ref/3)

[^15] [Apostolic Journey - Cuba: Meeting with the sick and suffering in the Shrine of St Lazarus (January 24, 1998) - Speech 3](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/ee350993-99a1-42a7-b381-d87aeaefef77/ref/3)

[^16] [Salvifici Doloris: On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering 27](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f3b8cfcb-7c7b-405a-b88d-8e2b34348d91/ref/27)