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In one of the issues of the Angelus not so long ago, I did a piece on the Currency of Gratitude and how we can live a life of gratitude. Gratitude is a partner of Grace, so then it is equally important to live our lives with grace.

Beauty in all forms begins with grace. Grace is defined as “poised elegance, forgiveness or

a blessing”. Grace can be known as ‘divine love’ the willingness to move through life with harmony, presence and alignment. With grace comes courage, patience and humour.

It’s an instinctive knowing that there’s a greater source out there that encourages all of us to examine the currency of gracious living and leadership.

Grace has the potential to change lives and turn any negative situation into a positive one. To not be reactive but active in kindness, love and acceptance. Grace costs nothing, its free and accessible to everyone, at any moment.

Where all hope is lost and people are dismal in sadness, it takes only one person to stand up in grace and show them there’s a positive path forward. Grace for many meant freedom, hope and eternity. I am reminded of the song “Amazing Grace”, which was a hymn written in the 1700’s by and about the experience of John Newton who was an English poet and clergyman, who was earlier pushed into slave trading. It was heard throughout the world and gave people new hope and faith that there would be a change in the future.

An act of grace gives people a greater purpose in life, a chance to volunteer to the less fortunate. There’s a notion that grace can be passed on from one person to another, affecting each person one by one with strength, hope and fortitude, and then the ability to pass it on to the next. A warm hug, a hot chocolate and a blanket gives grace to those cold and hungry in winter sleeping at our door. Acts of grace have been witnessed throughout the world, during war and tragedy.

Grace is the mother during war, who gives her only portion of food to her children and

although hungry, goes without. Her faith in grace saw her survive, living through war and

trauma, and she is now a lovely ninety-year-old gracious lady today.

Grace can be a reminder that even after years of someone passing, their legacy of grace continues. Princess Diana was the perfect epiphany of grace. She walked with such honesty and integrity, even

when times were difficult. She used those difficult times to change the lives of others. She hugged those with Aids when little was known about the disease, and showed the world it was safe to reach out to others. She walked through land mines in Angola and met with survivors who had lost limbs, and

bought them masses of publicity and helped to address the problems. After she died the United Nations Mine Ban Treaty was created.

Another example is how a ballerina moves with beauty, elegance and poise, yet she has such inner strength, patience and determination. Much like having gratitude, grace is life changing, its possible with grace to heal old wounds and to find a new perspective on arguments. Grace puts the

power back into your hands, and shows you that there’s a choice to live in peace and

clarity: a way to live that is not forceful, hectic or struggling, but to let things happen and flow naturally with humility, trust and faith that God is with us.