For Clare, the spiritual life begins and ends with grace. The literal meaning of grace is God’s unmerited favor, love, and help. The Hindu sage Sri Aurobindo tells us, “Grace is something spontaneous which wells out from the Divine Consciousness as a free flow of its being.” Therefore, grace is not something we earn; it is simply given, each and every moment of our existence. Examples abound: life itself is a grace, a gift; the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat are all gifts. The fact that we are conscious and conscious of our consciousness is a grace. Our capacity for choice and creative endeavors is grace. All that is good, all that sustains us, and all that blesses us comes from God as pure gift. God is an eternal font of all that is good, desirable, and uplifting.
Furthermore, God’s grace is given to everyone, irrespective of cast, color, or creed. Jesus tells us, “God makes his sun to rise on the wicked and the good and sends rain upon the just and the unjust.” Yet, in order for the full and unbounded force of grace to manifest in our lives, we must make ourselves ready and then use our free will to cooperate with it. Grace often operates in mysterious ways that baffle the human mind. Valentin Tomberg expresses this truth with perfect clarity: “It is certainly necessary to open the windows of a dark room in order for light to be able to enter there. The light of the sun is in no way created or merited by us. It is a gift, pure and simple. Nevertheless, it is necessary to open our windows in order for it to enter into our abode, just as it is necessary to open our eyes in order to see it.” Meditation is the foundation for a life of grace because it encompasses the process of self-emptying, that is, of letting go of our agendas, our road maps, and our egoic will so that grace can fill every aspect of our lives.
All that is good,
All that sustains and blesses me,
Comes as grace
From the loving and generous
Hand of God.
