Becoming Holy From the Inside Out (2)

Grace, transformation, and the heart of virtue

A Nagging Question

If holiness is so accessible—found in the ordinary, everyday life—why do we so often struggle to live it out? Many of us truly want to be more patient, kinder, more faithful. Yet we fall back into old habits and discouragement. This tension is exactly what the Christian tradition has grappled with for centuries: the interplay between our effort and God’s grace.

The Promise of Grace
From a more Protestant angle (such as in Pieter Vos’s work), there is a keen awareness of human fragility and a conviction that we depend utterly on God’s grace, which comes to us from beyond. We cannot perfect ourselves by our own strength alone. We need help—sustaining, healing, forgiving help. It’s a notion that resonates with anyone who’s ever tried (and failed) to overcome a stubborn vice.

On the Catholic side, however, thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and Yves Congar nuance that grace isn’t just external assistance. In what Aquinas calls gratia infusa, grace is poured into us, reshaping our very inner being so that we slowly become capable of genuine virtue. This notion points to a deep transformation: from the inside out, we’re made new, not by sheer willpower but by divine love working within.

Rules vs. Relationships
Hand in hand with this idea is a fresh look at God’s law or commandments. Instead of perceiving them as external, limiting rules, the Catholic tradition—especially Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)—portrays them as an expression of our deepest desires for the good. If we were created with an innate orientation toward truth, beauty, and goodness, then these “commandments” serve less like fences and more like signposts. They guide us toward freedom, happiness, and ultimately, love.

In essence, the good life isn’t about legalism; it’s about discovering and living out the telos (the ultimate purpose) God built into our nature. Virtue flourishes when our inward renewal meets outward guidance.

Freedom through Grace
The core of this holistic vision is surprising. Rules don’t stifle freedom; sin does. Grace frees us so that we can be transformed from fearful or self-centered individuals into persons who love spontaneously. This is what Congar and Aquinas mean by divinisation: not that we become gods in some grandiose sense, but that we share, through Christ, in a life greater than ourselves.

Putting It into Practice
All of this might still sound a bit abstract. So how do we translate it into daily life? We start by recognising moments of failure as opportunities to invite grace into our hearts. We note the times we’re unkind or impatient and pray for an interior renewal that changes who we are, not just our surface actions. Over time, like water eroding rock, God’s grace reshapes our character—quietly, persistently.

When we speak of holiness, then, we refer not just to the “big gestures,” but to all the small yeses we give to God’s transforming love. It’s an inside-out process that patiently forms us into people who can love as Christ loves.

This is the second of 3 reflections on virtue and everyday holiness, based on a lecture that brother Richard gave on the occasion of the presentation of the Dutch edition of Pieter Vos’ book on Protestant Virtue ethics in March 2025.