KARMA IS a justice belief held mostly by Eastern religions that for every moral action we do there is a corresponding reaction. If we show goodness, we reap goodness. If we do evil, we reap evil. Karma usually is not instant but nevertheless it will come. It is supposed to teach us life’s lessons and to help us be better people.
Grace on the other hand is love and mercy given to us
by God, something that we don’t deserve but God out of His goodness freely
gives it. Grace can also mean a divine influence to inspire us to do
good or to practice the virtues and a kind of aid or strength to endure trial
and resist temptations to commit sin. Divine grace enlightens the
mind and strengthens the will (our power to make choices) to do the right
thing. Grace can be availed from the sacraments such as Confession
and Holy Eucharist.
Karma is attractive to our beliefs because it appeals
to our sense of justice. If we see or read in the news that a crime is
committed, we feel that it should be punished right away. However,
we have to thank God that He practices grace on us and not karma because if He
uses His justice on us through karma, no one would be alive because of the sins
we regularly commit.
Grace works very differently. In the parable of
the Laborers in the Vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16) the landowner gave the same
compensation to those who started working early and to those who were hired
later. The early birds of course complained, “These who were hired last
worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have
borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.” The landowner replied, “I am not being unfair to you,
friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I
want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I
have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because
I am generous?” This parable refers to those who are called late in their
vocation (to priesthood, religious life and other states).
A late vocation is when you
receive grace to discover your vocation at a later stage in your life perhaps
after being a boxer for many years and suddenly called to become a priest like
Fr. Stuart Long of the famous true story movie “Father Stu”. Others enter
religious life after working many years in the corporate world. God gives
the same reward of heaven or even a higher place in heaven even though they
happen to be called late in their vocation. It’s not about how long you have
been in your vocation but how generously you have responded to that
vocation. It’s quality over quantity.
The same unexpected logic
happens with the Parable of the Talents (Lk. 19:11-27). The one entrusted
with one talent who got lazy and did not work on it to gain a profit was
divested of his lone talent. The repossessed talent was then given to the one
who already had ten. The people witnessing the event objected to the
apparent unfairness saying, “Sir, they said, 'He already has ten!' “But the
nobleman replied “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but
as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”
The law of grace is such that
if we stubbornly don’t respond to the invitations of God to conversion, a time
will come that grace will not be given anymore because of our
hardheadedness. On the other hand, those who are constantly trying to
make good use of the graces gifted to them will continue to receive more.
The rich become richer and the poor become poorer in the law of God’s grace.
Wretched people are supposed
to deserve a wretched fate right away, but God’s grace and mercy gives a
chance, a lot of chance, to mend our ways. As Pope Francis would
say, God never gets tired of forgiving but it’s us people who get tired of
repenting. “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious
God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Ps
86:15)
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