What Does “Grace” Mean in the Bible?
A gift from God that we do not deserve. It is his help and his life within us.
It can mean
- “Full of grace”: that is what the angel called Mary: God filled her with his love from the very beginning.
- “In the state of grace”: having no serious sin that has not been confessed.
- Careful: “saying grace” is something else: it is giving thanks.
Where it appears in the Bible
Luke 1:28; Luke 1:30; Luke 2:40
What the Bible says
Luke 1:28
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luke 1:30
And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Luke 2:40
And the child grew, and waxed strong, full of wisdom; and the grace of God was in him.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catechism 1996-1997 and 2676; Luke 1:28