Grace and Moral Responsibility

The concept of grace in Catholicism emphasizes that grace is given gratuitously by God and is not earned. Once a person receives grace, they have a moral obligation to cooperate with it and to act in accordance with the good that has been made possible by that grace. Failing to act on this grace can lead to losing that very grace, as St. Peter warns in the Bible. Thus, the relationship between grace, moral responsibility, and the necessity to do good is a foundational teaching that underscores the importance of living a virtuous life.